Under the Surface
by HeroUp88
Summary: A near death. A betrayal. Pieces that don't fit. After the trauma of losing his best friend, Nightwing wanted a break from that life. But fate has brought him back in the midst of this chaos, that not even he can make sense of. This chapter of his life was over. But if he didn't find out what was going on under the surface, he and those closest to him would be headed there fast.
1. Prologue

**I don't own Young Justice or any related characters.**

 **A/N: Hopefully a new exciting story that you all will enjoy following. Fill free to give me ideas, comments, criticism, etc. I hope you guys like it.**

 **READ. REVIEW. ENJOY.**

 **-PAGE BREAK-**

 **Mount Justice**

 **April 2, 02:36 EST**

Nightwing leaned against the wall next to the zeta tube tunnel.

" _Where are they?"_ he thought. He had never been one to typically worry, but this was getting to be an extreme circumstance.

Miss Martian paced back and forth in the center of Cave. There had been radio silence for the past two days. It had been a reconnaissance mission, one both parties had made numerous times, but it hadn't required radio silence. The only explanation was something had gone horribly wrong.

She tried to push the negative thoughts away. What she had hoped was they just ran into trouble making the trip back to the Cave, and were just taking other methods, like public transportation. But why hadn't they radioed? They were out of her telepathic range. All she could do was worry.

"Superboy. B04."

Superboy stumbled in through the zeta tube. His head was in a fog as Miss Martian moved to him, Nightwing following close behind her.

Barely finding the seat, Superboy sat. He looked dazed as if he was confused as to what was going on around him. The voices sounded miles away even with his super hearing. It was as if he was underwater.

"Superboy? Can you hear me? What happened?" Miss Martian kept repeating.

Nightwing was becoming anxious. He continued to stare at the zeta tube waiting for it to fire off again, but time continued to pass and it remained quiet. He began tapping his foot, unable to find a release for his nervous energy.

Miss Martian continued to try to bring her former lover's attention to the present.

"Superboy, wake up. What happened at Cadmus?"

The clarity slammed back to his mind as he caught a clear glimpse of where he was and who he was talking to. It was something about the sentence that had grounded him, like a trigger word for a post-hypnotic suggestion.

Nightwing saw the recognition come back into his eyes. There was no sign of her and she was the last person he had been with. He had become far too impatient to deal with this routine.

"Superboy! Where is she?!"

Miss Martian helped him stand. He looked Nightwing in the mask.

"I don't know."

He pushed the Kryptonian back into his seat. "You were her partner! How do you not know?!"

"I don't know!" Superboy yelled back, standing again. He wasn't going to be intimidated.

Nightwing pushed past the clone in front of him. Rushing to the zeta tube.

"Where are you going?" Miss Martian asked.

"Last zeta location," he commanded the machine.

"Recognized. Nightwing B01." He vanished without answering her.

Miss Martian waited for the zeta tube to die down before she turned to her teammate.

"Conner. What happened?"

He sat in the chair, hands gripping his hair as he shook his head from side to side.

"I keep trying to replay it in my head. See what went wrong. But no matter how hard I try I can't. I just can't remember."

 **Washington D.C.**

 **April 2, 02:51 EST**

It was dark even with the lights in the city. He ran out of the Hall of Justice. Her belt was still active, he would be able to track her location with it. He called his bike and jumped on without it halting, pushing it to the limit.

" _How did he leave her? That is the purpose of a partner to have her back?"_ He still didn't know if he was mad at himself or at Superboy. Aqualad had asked him to go on the recon mission, however, he was chasing down the leader of a drug cartel in Blüdhaven. He felt that it was far more important to finish what he had started. Most of the team was adept at the art of recon, it was the Team's MO after all. Sure he had gotten the ring leader, and Superboy was well equipped to do recon, but he still felt guilty. He should have been there to prevent this from happening.

The tracking device began to flash rapidly and beep louder. He stopped the bike and took off running in the direction of the signal.

He was in the middle of nowhere, a random side street with a forest on either side.

"Batgirl!" he yelled. His blood ran cold as he heard her scream. His pace quickly changed from a walk to sprint.

He saw her from a distance. She was moving around haphazardly, screaming out erratically. By the time he ran into her, she was in a frenzy.

"Batgirl!" he shouted again, hoping to get her attention.

"He's here. Can't you see him? He's gonna get us all." She was yelling out, but there was no one there. She looked to be engaged in an attack, like she was fighting someone off, but there wasn't a living being out there with her.

"Batgirl. What are you doing? What happened?"

When she caught sight of him, she slowly edged towards him. As she approached, he could see her uniform had been ripped to shreds and her body was heavily bruised. She also seemed to be favoring her left leg. She approached him, the same confused look in her eye that Superboy had when he had stumbled into the Cave.

"Talk to me. What happened?"

Her expression changed quickly from confusion to wild with fear. It was a sight he hardly saw, even in the criminals he and Batman used to strike fear into. No, this went beyond fear, Batgirl was outright petrified. She struck him in the jaw, and dropped back into a fighting stance.

"Stay back!" She lunged at him again. This time, he grabbed her arms as she swung. She furiously tried to pull away.

"Let me go. You don't understand. He's coming. Can't you see him? Please. We have to get out of here." Someone had hurt her, had her so afraid for her life. It pulled at his heart to see her in such disarray, such pain.

"Barbara. Look at me. What happened at Cadmus?"

Her eyes began to focus. She stopped struggling to get away as she recognized who was holding her in place.

"Dick?" Her voice had become hoarse. "Superboy, where's Superboy?"

"He's not here." Nightwing answered bitterly.

Batgirl pulled away from him.

"We have to go find him. We have to…" She trailed off as she began walking away from Nightwing. He followed close behind. Again, she looked like she was searching for something, stumbling around like a drunkard. She took a few steps more before she collapsed, landing in a ditch.

Nightwing jumped down next to her kneeling by her side. She had begun to sweat, though her body was cold and limp and her skin clammy. She was unresponsive. As he waited for a response, he noticed the stillness of her chest. He removed his glove and placed the back of his hand to her mouth. She wasn't breathing. He checked her pulse. Her heart wasn't beating.

"Barbara!"

He immediately began CPR. It seemed endless. With every compression he felt he was going to lose her for good. Images of Artemis flashed into his head as he continued to hope for any sign of life.

 ** _One minute, two minutes, three minutes._**

Still nothing. " _Come on."_ He silently willed. His arms were getting weak from the compressions, but he was determined to continue.

 _ **Four minutes, five minutes.**_

He held back his emotions that were threatening to spill over. He let his arm hang by his side, his heart heavy with sadness as he stared at her still form. She looked peaceful now, a complete juxtaposition to her final moments. His heart grew heavy as he watched her. A lump formed in his throat and a knot in his stomach. He lingered there as time stood still.

He put his hand to his ear and activated the comlink. "Nightwing to Cave." He sighed as he waited for a response.

The area was uncomfortably silent. It had been since he had arrived. As he waited for a response, the silence that had enveloped them with its deafening presence allowed itself to be broken. While it wasn't loud, just a small rustling, it seemed to defile the innocent life taken under its reign. But he ignored the rustling as Miss Martian answered his call.

"Cave to Nightwing. Tell me you have good news."

He took a deep breath not knowing how to share such delicate information. He looked down at her body again before he spoke, when he heard the desecrating rustling again. He began to put it off again but noticed this time it was accompanied by a weak cough, immediately followed by several gasps for air.

"Dick?" called weakly.

He was ecstatic. He reached down and embraced, but not to hard, careful he might break her in such fragile state.

"Nightwing. Nightwing? What's happening? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm here. I found her."

"Oh thank goodness."

"She's heavily injured. I'm taking her to a hospital."

"Copy. We'll see you when you return."

He picked her up, cautiously fearful she might shatter. She was trying her best to stay awake, focusing heavily on her breathing.

"Come on Batgirl. You have to stay with me. We're gonna get you help." She nodded weakly as She readjusted herself against his body. Her head fell heavy in his chest. She became lulled into a calmed state by the rhythmic beating of his heart. Her breathing falling in tune with his steps. She tried her best to stay awake, but sleep as calling her.

" _What happened at Cadmus?"_ He thought. He watched Batgirl struggle for her life as her ran to get her to safety. There was a reason he had left after Wally died. He had had enough of this mess for a while, the conspiracies, the theories, the gray areas. In Gotham and Blüdhaven, there was only black and white. Criminals weren't smart enough to blur the lines. But with the team, there was far more than fifty shades gray. And it didn't just stop here on Earth. The dealings with the Reach had made half crazy. The grays forced secrets. You never knew who to trust, who was really on your side. There was always an ulterior motive forcing you to lie and keep secrets to stay on top. That's why he had needed a break from it all. He had been so eager to lead when he was younger, but now he understood the murky areas of heroics. It wasn't his responsibility anymore. But fate wouldn't seem to let him escape. No, now that he was thrust into this he was going to get to the bottom of this. He had no choice. Superboy was suspect number one. But for now, he had help his oldest friend live through the night.

"Hold on Babs. I'm gonna get you out of here." He promised her.


	2. Chapter 1: Guilty Consciences

****I don't own Young Justice or any related characters.****

 ** **A/N: The story continues. Thanks to all the people who have followed and favorited the story. I hope you all continue to enjoy. Remember to drop that review.****

 ** **READ. REVIEW. ENJOY.****

 ** **-PAGE BREAK-****

 **Mount Justice**

 **April 2, 02:39 EST**

The Cave had been recently rebuilt and remodeled after the explosion Kaldur had caused while operating undercover. They had found another location and moved from the Watchtower back to their own base of operations.

"Conner, I don't understand. You don't remember? How do you not remember?"

"What is there not to understand? I don't know what to remember. I don't know where she is. I don't know what happened! Get off my case!"

"I'm not on our case. This situation took a completely unexpected turn. Anything could've happened to you. I'm just concerned about you. I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

He looked at her with confusion. He knew she still had feelings for him, it had indeed been him that had broken off their relationship to begin with. But her confession to her emotions, was a little unnerving. He still had feelings for her, but didn't know if they were strong enough to let her back in his life after she had betrayed him like she had. He knew she had broken up with La'gaan, and he figured he had likely been the reason for that, but that didn't mean he was just going to drop everything so she could return like nothing happened. He would always care for her, but he didn't know where that left them relationship-wise.

M'gann recognized the look on his face and blushed as she quickly tried to retract her statement. Sometimes she spoke before realizing the words escaping. It was a lot more difficult on Earth to communicate by mouth. On Mars, everyone knew the true intentions of thoughts. Here, words had multiple meanings, and if strung together wrong, it could result in very uncomfortable social situations like the one she found herself in now.

"Look Superboy, there has to be something you remember about this. If Cadmus was able to incapacitate you and Batgirl, they must be doing something more advanced than anything we've seen in a long time. I'm not the only one looking into this. There's Aqualad, Nightwing, -"

"Nightwing is not my boss. As a matter of fact, he stepped out on this team. If he has something to say he knows where to find me."

He stood to his feet to exit, walking out to his new room with a sense of urgency.

"Superboy."

"Forget it. Don't talk to me."

 **Blüdhaven**

 **April 2, 15:10 EST**

Dick laid waste to the punching bag, showing it no mercy, the last roundhouse kick sending it flying off the chain. He bent over and rested his hands on his knees, his chest heaving up and down as he took deep breaths. The sweat dripped from his forehead, running into his eyes. He undid his hand wraps and wiped his face with his undershirt.

He hadn't slept since he had dropped Barbara off at the hospital in Washington DC. He had wanted to bring her to Gotham, but she was in no condition to make the trip even with the zeta tubes.

Every time he closed his eyes, he could see her frail form, so broken and battered in his arms. And no matter how much he tried to convince himself it wasn't his fault, he couldn't seem to shake the feeling of guilt that clung to him like dead weight. He had dropped her off at Washington General and they had started operations immediately. He couldn't bring himself to stay. After he made his way to Blüdhaven, he had called Wayne Manor and informed them of the situation. Bruce, who was away with the founding seven trying to improve relations with other planets, had been linked on the three-way as could be heard over the line losing his temper. Alfred was clearly upset, but Tim stayed relatively quiet. He had been attacking his body with a vigorous workout in his apartment ever since.

He moved to pick up the punching bag. He wanted to see Barbara, but didn't know if he could face her, knowing he could've- should've- been there. He set the equipment to the side.

"Set up Training Scenario B-415." The electronic opponents emerged from beneath the floor. It was days like today that he was grateful Bruce had such wealth and was so paranoid. It had been he that had suggested the system be put in his apartment. Today he needed it.

One after the next, the lifelike opponents went to the ground, another popping up in its place. While it was difficult, it was only doing so much to quell his wrestling spirit. The session soon expired as all the opponents were disposed.

"Maybe you need a real sparring partner. Apparently Bruce's hardest training simulation wasn't enough for you."

Dick's head snapped up. The youngest Robin walked into his apartment living room dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

Dick smiled slightly as he watched him walk in. "I don't think you can beat me in those clothes."

Tim removed his t-shirt revealing a black undershirt similar to Dick's.

"Try me." He stepped in front of Dick, a smug smile on his face.

They began, Tim taking the first strike. For a while they went blow for blow, Dick more going through the motions as opposed to actually fighting Tim. He had definitely improved, but he still had a ways to go before he could beat him, and even farther before he could beat Bruce.

He caught his foot as he tried to catch him in the stomach.

"You're telegraphing. Any skilled fighter is going to catch it."

It was only a few exchanges later before he had to correct him again. Dick had a free hit to the abdomen after Tim had tried to flip over his opponent's leg sweep.

"It's taking you to long to catch sight of your attacker. You never take your eyes off of them, even in a flip. Otherwise you leave yourself open."

Tim struck at Dick, connecting to his face. As he stumbled, Tim closed the distance. He ducked as Dick recovered with a feign. Tim was now off balance, and Dick took advantage of it, kicking out his foot that held all the weight. Tim rolled into a somersault landing on his feet. He wound up to come at his opponent. Dick grabbed his other arm and brought him towards him. Tim pushed with all his might to escape, but was again off balance. As Tim started his descent to the ground, Dick caught him and placed him in a chokehold.

He released him after a few seconds.

"It takes you long to throw a punch. I can catch it and deflect it back to you, and throws you off balance. There should never be a time when you're off balance. It gives your attacker the advantage. And never give your attacker control of what you do. The moment that happens… you're dead."

He helped his younger brother off the floor.

"Didn't know I was getting a training session."

"You have to watch those things. This stuff isn't something that you can half do. If you don't correct that stuff fast, it could be the difference between winning or …I don't want you to end up like..." He couldn't finish his statement. He looked off into the distance; he couldn't look at Tim. He inhaled deeply, releasing a deep sigh.

"She woke up a few hours ago."

He turned to face Tim. "When did you see her?"

"I'm actually passing through here on my way back. I went up to Washington after you called. When you hung up I went out on patrol, but I kept thinking about her so I took a zeta to the hospital. When I got there, they said that she was still in surgery. So I gave them my number. Went to school, and they called me in 6th period. I called Alfred and we went up there. We stayed for about an hour."

"So you skipped out on class and left Gotham alone while Bruce was out?"

"I left when my patrol was over, and how many times have you missed class to go off on a mission? But Dick, you're missing the point."

"No. No, I see it, I'm just diverting it to something else."

Tim saw his downtrodden expression despite how much he was trying to hide it.

"She asked for you." He tried to make his face as pleasant as possible. "The doctor stopped as we were leaving. He said she...she was awake. So we stayed for a little longer."

Dick could hear the stutter in his voice. "What happened?"

"Nothing. That's everything."

"Tim, don't lie to me."

"Well, she did ask for Superboy first."

Dick's faced turned into a scowl nearly identical to the ones that Bruce often used.

It was Tim's turn to sigh. "The doctor, he did stop us as we were leaving. He wanted to know if we were related because they needed permission."

"For what?"

"They think she might've been raped."

Dick closed his eyes as the picture from that night flashed in his mind. He wiped his hands over his face before returning to reality.

"Dick, I'm sorry."

"Why? You didn't attack her. It's not your fault."

"But it's not yours either." There was a pause as he waited for Dick to respond, but it never came. "Look, I know you need some space. I'll go. But she's gonna be alright. And right now she needs a friend more than nan avenger." He picked up his shirt, and walked out the door.

Dick stared around the room. He had to go see Barbara. It didn't matter what he was feeling, Barbara needed him more. She needed someone to be there for her. Besides that, she was essential in finding out what happened at Cadmus. Superboy was useless. Then he could truly have justice, for her and for him.

 **Washington General Hospital**

 **April 2, 17:47 EST**

The monitors beeped softly in the background. Her head pounded in on itself. Her body was sore everywhere else. Her torso had been wrapped in countless bandages, and she had overheard the doctors saying she was going to need a metal pole down her leg that was now propped up. She wasn't dead, but at this point she felt she might as well have been.

She took a deep breath in and regretted it as her chest cried out. All she wanted to do was click her heels three times and wish this whole mess over. The problem was she still didn't quite understand what mess she was in. When she closed her eyes and tried to remember what happened, all she got were flashes of torture. It sent chills down her spine, and her heart went racing. She could feel herself going into an anxiety attack, when a knock came to the door.

"Come in," she strained to say. Her face scrunched at the sound of her voice. It was hoarse, not the smooth sound she was used to.

The door cracked as a head popped through.

"Is this the room of a Barbara Gordon?"

The cheery, child like nature of Dick Grayson made her smile to herself. He had always been there for her, and this time was no different.

"Not if there is a Richard Grayson looking for her."

He put on an accent. "Good because my name is Julio Estevez." He smiled at her and entered, flowers and chocolate in his hands.

"Are those for me?" She watched him as he made his way to the seat next to the bed.

"Yeah. The flowers are courtesy of Bruce Wayne. I figured you want something a little more practical. And this Hershey seemed to fill that spot."

"With almonds?"

"Is there any other way?" Dick smiled at the joy that he was able to convey. He was glad he could do this for her, and he was truly happy to be there with her, but seeing her this way was tearing at his heart. She had always been a confident, strong figure in his life. To see her reduced to this, it forced him to put things into perspective.

As he looked down through her injuries, he felt an anger stir up inside him. Whoever did this was going to pay dearly.

"Dick?"

He snapped out of his thoughts.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"You've seen how I look. Probably fifty times worse than that."

"You don't look that bad."

"Don't flatter me."

"Does your father know?"

She shook her head. "No. As far as he is concerned, I'm still at Gotham University. I know I need to tell him about this, but I don't want him to find out like this." She could see the distracted look on his face. She forced herself to sit up to see him better, gritting at the pain in her chest as she did so.

"Hey, take it easy," Dick stood to help her reposition. His face was tantalizingly close to hers. She had always felt feelings for Dick, and had a suspicious feeling he had them for her too, but she knew there was no way he could want her now, not like this. She watched as he retook his seat.

"What have the doctors said?"

She looked over her own injuries. "A grade 3 concussion, 2 broken ribs, 3 bruised ribs, and a supracondylar femur fracture as far as I know."

Richard rubbed his hands together. He wanted to tell her, but he didn't know how. She could see he was holding something back. As he tried to form the words on his tongue, his head told him to leave it be. He didn't need to vote more than what she was now.

"I should've been there last night." He turned his head away, a scowl forming on his face.

"Dick, please don't do this. This is not your fault. If anything, I should be thanking you. I don't remember much from last night, but I know you were there."

"Tim told me you asked for Connor when you woke up this morning. Same thing happened when I found you, but surprise, surprise, he's nowhere to be found."

"Dick, you can't blame him either. He did everything he could, we were just overpowered."

"Barbara, he was your partner. He left you for dead, and didn't bother to come look for you."

"Richard, you know as well as I do that this is part of the job we took. We all knew the risk when we signed on. This happens sometimes."

"Not to us it doesn't!" He held his head in his hands, his fingers intertwining with his hair.

"I know." This was the first time he had really heard the hoarseness of her voice. He had blocked it out earlier, but now her voice seemed so soft, so broken, so small, so distant. He looked up, she was no longer looking at him, but at some point on the ceiling above them.

"When I woke up and realized to some extent what had happened to me, I was terrified. Not at what had happened to me, but the fact that it had. The reputation that Batman has, you have, Tim even, I have always felt inferior, like I had to work harder to even measure up. This kind of thing doesn't happen to the Batclan and the fact that it happened to me of all people, just has caused me to think, what am I worth."

"Barbara, you're worth more than you know. I've never meant to make you feel inferior. It's just seeing you like this, strikes a nerve. Just seeing it makes it more real because this has happened to us before."

They took an impromptu moment of silence as they remembered Jason.

"What do you remember?" He asked.

"Not much."

"You said you and Connor were overpowered."

"I was just assuming. I don't really remember much of last night."

"Barbara, please. You have to give me something."

"Dick, I don't know. All I remember is waking up this morning."

"So you're not trying to protect Superboy?"

"He doesn't need protecting; he didn't do anything."

"Exactly. That's why you're here now."

"Richard, I told you. All I remember is waking up this morning."

Dick did his best to hold back his temper. "Then who visited you today?"

She was confused as to where he was going with this question, but she answered him anyway. "Tim and Alfred. Why?"

He paused before he answered. "Then what was Captain Atom doing here?"

Her eyes widen with surprise. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't play dumb Barbara. I saw his name on the visitor's log when I signed in. No one knew you were here except for those I told: Tim, Alfred, and Bruce. All very adept at the art of secrecy. You were unconscious until about one o'clock, and you were hoarse. There is no phone in this room. Your father doesn't even know where you are. What was he doing here?"

"I don't know Richard." Her face was hard.

"You know, I understand you not wanting to talk about what happened. The most likely thing is you don't remember. Fine. Or maybe it's you don't want to relive the experience. It might be you don't want to tell me because you don't trust me. You think I might go do something rash. While it would hurt, I understand. But we've known each other for nearly a decade. So why tell Atom before you tell someone who has been to hell and back with you?"

"Dick don't do this. You don't understand."

"Then make me understand. What happened? Why tell him and not me?"

"Nothing happened Richard." She had gone back into her shell. He wasn't getting anything else out of her. The doctor entered the room.

"Mr. Grayson, we need to perform a few test. We're going to have to ask you to step out."

"Yeah. I was just on my way out anyway."

He looked back at Barbara as he left. Her arms were crossed on her chest as she looked out the window. She had checked out. He exited the way he entered.

This was a tangled mess. Not only was Superboy a suspect, but now Captain Atom was apart of this. And he had effectively shut out his best way of learning what happened. This was getting out of hand fast, and it had just started.


	3. Chapter 2: Short Fuse

**I don't own Young Justice or any related characters.**

 **A/N: I wasn't 100% sure about this chapter. It's kind of a filler, but it is necessary. Still I hope you guys like it. And if not leave a review and let me know.**

 **READ. REVIEW. ENJOY.**

 **\- PAGE BREAK-**

 _ **Mount Justice**_

 _ **April 3, 18:12 EST**_

"Nightwing. B01."

He spotted Jaime and Bart as he entered the Cave.

They seemed to be in some intense argument, but he didn't have time for their shenanigans.

"There's no way you could beat Superman in a race _hermano._ Superman beat your grandad. He'd demolish you."

"He did not beat him. They just put that in the papers to help Supey's ego. We all know I would run circles around Big Blue. But all this talk, we should do it. That would be so crash. But I would need someone to practice on; work my way up."

"Dude, no one is going-"

"Where's Superboy?" Nightwing asked, his voice cutting through their discussion and leaving no room for the comedic relief Bart was so used to giving.

"I think he is in the back with Aqualad," Jaime answered, sensing it was best just to give him what he wanted.

Nightwing stormed to the back. "And Superman would win," he retorted.

The new Cave resembled the Watchtower in a lot of ways. For starters, it had a lot more rooms to accommodate the expanding team. It had a monitor womb that made it easy to hand out assignments. And it had a proper commissary that was always stocked. It made Nightwing smile to think how much Wally really would have enjoyed that, Impulse had certainly taken a shine to it.

But he wasn't smiling now. He needed to get to the bottom of this mess. He had nearly lost another of his closest friends and he wasn't just going to sit by and watch this time. Fate had pulled him back into this and he was going to make Cadmus or whoever was behind this sorry. But first on the list was Superboy.

Aqualad and Superboy were in the new interrogation quarters in the very back of the Cave as Jaime had said. Nightwing entered the room and stood in front of the one way mirror. He turned on the speaker to hear what was being said in the other room. His foot tapped with anger, as his blood boiled just at the sight of the Kryptonian.

Kaldur and Conner were sitting across each other. The latter had a tired look on his face. Nightwing almost felt sympathetic in spite of his anger. He had been through the ordeal with Barbara. Perhaps Nightwing was wrong in his approach.

"How did you escape?" Kaldur asked.

"I don't know. I just remember walking away. Sometime during it I knew I had to get to the Cave." Superboy responded.

Nightwing could feel every fiber of his being stand on end.

" _She wasn't ever a priority for him. He was lucid enough to get himself out, but couldn't care less about the person he left behind. And now he was acting for Kaldur like he was a victim?"_ Any sympathy he had for Superboy had gone out the window.

He barged into the room.

"And what about your dying partner?! You leave her just as dazed and confused as you to protect herself?"

The expression on Conner's face went from tired to exasperated. He stood from his seat.

"I don't have to justify my actions to you. I did what was best for the mission."

Nightwing began to move before his brain could even register his actions. He had Superboy by the shirt and slammed him against the wall, quickly putting him into a full nelson.

"I don't care about the mission, I don't care where they are; you never leave a man behind."

Superboy pulled his arms down, using his strength to overpower the powerless hero behind him. He turned to face him, taking the offensive.

"Leave a man behind? Where do you get off, High and Mighty, telling me not to leave a man behind? You left all of us, what 'cause you suffered a little heartache? Being a part of a team isn't something you just pick up and put on when it's convenient for you. You don't think it hit all of us when Wally died? No, of course not, only the Great Nightwing has the privilege of stepping out. Stepping out on the people he _promised_ he would lead."

Nightwing struck his former teammate across the face. He could see Superboy struggling to reign his anger as he realized what had happened. Aqualad immediately intervened, pulling Nightwing out the room as the chair he had once been sitting in exploded against the door.

Nightwing paced the room quickly, heat practically radiating off him. Aqualad had hardly ever seen him so frazzled. Perhaps it was the compounded guilt of the tragedies of his closest friends. But he had to push past it. At this point, they couldn't afford to fight amongst themselves.

They both looked over as Superboy slammed his fist into the wall, a dent in its place.

"Nightwing, you need to calm yourself."

"Me?!" he jeered. "He's the one punching walls."

"I understand your frustration, but it is misplaced. Superboy is not your enemy."

"Kaldur, she died because of him!"

Aqualad was taken aback. He hadn't realized the level of the issue with the information he had been given. Now he truly understood why Nightwing was acting the way he was. He had nearly lost it himself when they revealed Tula had passed away as all his friends watched. She had sacrificed herself, and no one stood in the way to save her. There was a small pause before he spoke as he reminisced on his former lover, pushing his own remaining anger away.

"Batgirl is no longer with us?"

Nightwing could hear the melancholic tone to his voice. He quickly corrected his statement.

"No. I mean she did. I had to do CPR. She was gone for a while but by some miracle she came back. But she would have if I hadn't had the mind to go find her. He left her with no intention of going back."

"I do not believe he was aware of all his actions."

"Why is everyone insistent on defending him? He knew what he was doing. Had it been M'gann he would have died before coming back without her."

"That is an unfair assessment. While we have all had romantic relationships, never have they interfered with our mission. And while Superboy is known for his quick temper, he has never been known to lie."

"What about those patches Luthor gave him?"

"Everyone has their secrets they wish to keep hidden, no matter how close others become."

Nightwing stopped pacing and faced the leader. Aqualad was right. He was always right. He never understood how he stayed so cool even in times of extreme pressure. They both turned to look at Superboy who had calmed down. He was now sitting staring at the mirror, or maybe he was using his super vision to watch them. Perhaps he was just thinking. Nightwing took a deep sigh before he spoke.

"They think she was raped."

Aqualad's attention was immediately recaptured. He didn't say a word, but Nightwing could feel his sympathy, and perhaps even a hint of guilt.

"I should've gone. You asked me, and I turned it down to stop a drug cartel that probably would've collapsed in on itself by now anyway."

"No, it was wrong of me to ask you. I should have respected your decision about involvement on the Team."

Nightwing continued to stare at Superboy as he made his next statement. "It doesn't matter now. Even if you hadn't asked me, this would've happened anyway. I just need to get to the bottom of this."

"I know I overstepped my bounds before, but know we are always here if you would like to work with us."

"I appreciate the offer but no thanks. I need to do this on my own."

"Be careful my friend."

Nightwing looked through the one way window one last time before he left. Superboy seemed to be thinking or analyzing something.

"I know you trust him, but Cadmus did something to him. Just keep an eye on him," he pointed out as he left.

They nodded in acknowledgement of each other before they moved their separate ways. Aqualad entered back into the interview room cautious to avoid the splinters that littered the doorway. He stood opposite the Boy of Steel. Superboy was careful to refrain from eye contact. The fit of rage Nightwing had inflicted had passed and in its place Kaldur could see the subtle hints of a guilty, starting with the absence of eye contact.

"He done crucifying me?"

"Nightwing is concerned for the well being of a close friend."

"He really thinks I'd just leave a man behind," he scoffed, "I've been here six years, and he hasn't learned to trust me yet?" He sounded more hurt and upset than angry, another sign of the guilt that was attacking his psyche. "Every time I get a moment to myself, all I can think about is what I did wrong. I would visit her if he hadn't locked her up at Fort Knox. I swear, the lowlifes who did this are gonna pay."

Kaldur could see the anger and vengeance break through the surface of his eyes. It was one he had seen in those he had worked next to while undercover: Cheshire, Sportsmaster, his father, even himself. It sent a chill down his spine. While Superboy was loyal, he was still liable to operate as a loose cannon. He stepped up to stop the clone before he walked out.

"We do not need acts of vigilantism. We need a coordinated effort to stop Cadmus."

"Kaldur, please. Step aside."

The leader remained in his place, unfaltering in his position until they were in agreement of each other.

"Fine. But I need to get out of here. Clear my head."

Aqualad stepped aside, allowing the Boy of Steel to pass, hoping and praying he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize himself or the mission.

 **PAGE BREAK**

Superboy walked into the main cavity of the Cave. Jaime and Bart, now with Garfield, were still heavily discussing some fantasy match up between the Justice League.

"Nuh-uh. Martian Manhunter is way more powerful than Superman." Beast Boy chimed.

"But Superman can do way more. Heat vision, freeze breath. Martian Manhunter is no challenge compared to Supes. In a fight, Martian Manhunter would be so moded." Bart replied.

Jaime shook his head in disagreement. "I'm with Gar on this one. That's all Superman has on Manhunter. Superman can't shapeshift, density shift, read minds. Manhunter has him beat _ese._ And I thought you said you could beat him in a race?"

"I can. That doesn't mean I don't stand for the ol' boy scout, the Big Blue, truth, justice, and the American way. That would just be un-American."

"So Bart likes to jump on the bandwagon. Noted." Garfield heckled.

Superboy walked past as he made his way to the zeta tubes. Most things had changed since the rebuilding, but this was the one thing that remained the same.

As he rounded the corner, M'gann passed by. She seemed to hesitate as she noticed him coming at her. He wasn't paying her any mind, but she could feel the tension in her body increase. She had been wanting to talk to him after the fiasco of the previous night, but he seemed to be avoiding her. She didn't have to read his mind to know he was deeply distressed by how the mission went, and the way they had left things made it seem as if she didn't believe him. She wanted to apologize. The situation with Barbara made her realize that they had to take advantage of the moments they had.

"Conner, I need to talk to you."

"Not now M'gann. I need a minute alone." He pushed past her. She saw the anger in his face and the guilt in his eyes. He called for Sphere as he made his way to the tube. She sighed longingly as he was thrust away to some destination.

 _ **Washington DC**_

 _ **April 3, 20:52 EST**_

It was dark outside. The rain poured down. As soon as he stepped out of the tube, he was soaked. Lightning flashed in the background followed by the eruption of his brother thunder. Superboy didn't really know what he was planning to do while he was out. Maybe he wanted to get revenge or just clear his head; he stared out into the distance as he thought it through. He really wanted to hand it to Cadmus, but knew if anything went wrong, his credibility among the Team would be shot, and at that point, he couldn't blame them. So against his desire he stayed away from Cadmus, but promised himself, he would be back.

Sphere began to warble and make noise as the thunder and lightning exploded. She transformed to her bike form as he tapped her side. He jumped on and they rode out into the storm.

The rain stung as it increased, the grounds beginning to flood. As he rode Sphere down the street, he closed his eyes and tried to remember what happened, but it was like an old fashioned tape that had been cut and edited. He continued to draw a blank as a random piece of his memory was pulled to the surface.

 _As he felt a chill run down his spine, he was repulsed to the mud behind him. But as quickly as he had landed, he was lifted off the ground and blast clear into the street. Standing, he felt all his strength had drained. But Batgirl's cry of pain forced him to press on. He rushed back into the fight, but was brought to his knees as something like feedback filled his ears to the point it felt they were going bleed out. Then the pain moved from his ears to his mind. In the background he could hear Batgirl still struggling against their attackers, intermittent with her cries of pain. Despite his own pain, he tried to push forward. He stood to his feet again and dragged himself, step after step._

 _He was attacked from the back with another blast of energy and the sharp feeling of feedback had been increased to a thousand times beyond his threshold of pain. He became disoriented. The only thought in his head was to get to the Cave to end this excruciating pain. All his other senses had been dulled as he put one foot in front of the other making his way away from that place, wherever it was._

He had left Batgirl to defend herself against two attackers even he hadn't been able to thwart off. His heart was in his stomach. How could he have done something like that? What kind of hero was he?

Sphere jerked to a halt as thunder rang out. Superboy jumped off. They were in the middle of nowhere. He couldn't see anything in the blackness of night, and even if there had been light, the rain had washed away anything that could give them clues to any information. But still he couldn't shake the air of familiarity.

He walked into the wooded area, not expecting to find anything, but secretly hoping he did. The trees slowed the downpour of rain that refused to lighten. He didn't know what he was doing here, but his instincts told him he was in the right place for whatever was going to happen next.

He travelled on, Sphere rolling close to his side. He looked around for a sign of anything. Again, he halted to a stop as Sphere cut him off to avoid falling in a ditch.

"Thanks," he said. Shaking his head, he knew there was nothing there. "Come on. Let's head back, girl." He tapped her on the side.

The rain persisted. They had walked about a mile in. Another flash of lightning, and an eruption of thunder, but this one was followed by an explosion. Both Conner and the alien technology were forced forward. Behind them, a tree had caught on fire. The blaze defied the laws of any science, burning against the water that tried to snuff it out. Superboy was mind became caught up in the sight of the fire that had started.

 _There was an explosion behind them. He leaned against Batgirl. He was dazed for a reason he couldn't remember. They were running out of a building, Cadmus he presumed. As they made it out of the building, he removed his weight from her shoulder, and began to match her stride. They took off. Each knew they couldn't take the zeta tube as it was a security risk. They ran out away from the building._

He caught the swing in mid-air. He turned around, a fire in his eyes larger than the one of the tree behind him. He heard the heartbeat and the rustling of the leaves far before the swing had come. The man wielding the tire iron trying his best to finish the swing. Superboy pulled it out of his hands, and grabbed the man by his jacket neck.

"Who the hell are you, and what are you doing?" he asked.

The man was scrawny. His clothes were soaked and dirty. But it was his face that caused Superboy to pause.

 _He was scrawny and raggedy, his hair was long and greasy and he looked like he cleaned himself with mud like a hobo from a boxcar. He had a an unshaven face and bags under his eyes. And while he wasn't much, he managed to hold back such an immovable force. Batgirl called for him, but he couldn't move, his body unresponsive to his commands. The scrawny coward in front of him giving a toothy grin._

He was cleaned shaven and his hair was cut. But it was the same man. An off-guard swing to the jaw caused Superboy to release his grip in recovery. The man took off running. Sphere rolled away at another sound of thunder. Superboy took off after the man. He was the key to his missing memory. He wasn't letting him get away.

The limited visibility made the chase even harder than it was already in the wooded area. He used his infrared vision to search for him. As he turned tightly around a tree, he could hear the excited noises of Sphere. She hadn't run away like he had thought, but had gone to cut off, their runner. He felt a smile come to his face at the realization. The man must have run into her and was now slightly disoriented.

As he saw Superboy approaching, he tried again to get up and move, but Superboy grabbed him again and held fast.

"Let me go. I didn't do nothing."

"It was you! You were there!"

"Kid, I don't know what you're talking about. Put me down if you know what's good for you."

"You're not getting the drop on me twice."

The man kicked out to Superboy's private region. Superboy moved his thigh to block just in time. Again the man attempted the swing. Superboy dropped him before it could connect. The fight ensued. The man before him was very skilled, but Superboy was stronger and had trained with the likes of Batman and Black Canary. The man tried to flip over him and sweep him from underneath. Superboy jumped and delivered a kick to the man's skull. Despite the force, the man quickly rebounded, albeit slower. He tackled Superboy, grabbing his legs to ensure he fell to the ground. He then jumped on top, grabbing a particularly large tree limb that had fallen near them. The first whack connected, and it was followed by several more. The Boy of Steel quickly placed his legs around the man's neck and threw him off. Jumping up first, he ran to apprehend his attacker. The stranger spat out, the loogie landing on the hero's face. He stepped back in disgust, wiping viciously at it. Instead of taking off, the man continued to attack, landing punch after punch. Superboy recovered, grabbing the man's fist and returning with a lick of his own. The man stumbled backwards. The teen closed the hero closed the distance, blocking another hit. He quickly stopped the attack with a pinch to the nerve on the neck. Superboy looked at the man's crumpled figure on the ground with disgust. He wanted to end this guy, but knew they needed him for answers. He tossed him over his shoulder and hopped on Sphere, who had transformed back into a cycle, and they rode off into the rain.


	4. Chapter 3: Unusual Suspects

**I don't own Young Justice or any related characters.**

 **A/N: I'm back. Sorry it took so long for this update. I hope you guys stay with me through this thing. I have some exciting new chapters on the way so don't give up on me yet. In the meantime,**

 **READ. REVIEW. ENJOY.**

 **\- PAGE BREAK-**

 _ **Metropolis**_

 _ **April 3, 20:46 EST**_

He stood on a rooftop a block or so away staring at the large "L" crowning the empire Lex Luthor had created. Cadmus had been annexed into that empire ever since its reconstruction following the Blockbuster attack since Luthor had made the largest contribution. And with all of his eye witnesses unable to account for what happened in the 48 hours they had been missing, and the person who could really open this case suddenly AWOL, this was the best lead he had.

He had spent the hours leading up to his skirmish with Superboy searching for the missing soldier. He looked up and down his usual hangouts, his home, his former wife, his children. He had even gone back to where he had first found Batgirl. All he found was evidence that he had been there, but Captain Atom was still nowhere to be found. Everything was just conveniently out of his reach, and whoever was orchestrating this operation was going to great lengths to keep it that way. And no one did that better than Lex Luthor.

He pulled out his binoculars and observed through the multi-millionaire's office. Luthor stood up as the man sitting across his desk picked up his suitcase and rose as well. They shook hands and the latter departed. Luthor retook his seat.

Replacing his binoculars, Nightwing grappled over to the building.

"Mercy, cancel my dinner reservation with Ms. Grant." Mercy nodded moving towards the phone. As she picked up the receiver, she turned to see her boss backing away from his desk as Nightwing entered the room through the open balcony window.

She put her right hand behind her head to reveal the machine gun that was now part of her anatomy. Luthor hit the ground and Nightwing began running to avoid the shower of bullets. He threw a birdarang in her direction, effectively blocking the flow of ammunition. Unable to react fast enough, her arm overheated, causing a small explosion that sent her back. Nightwing followed with a bolo to restrict her movement. As she lost her balance, the back of her head made a thud as she hit edge of Luthor's desk. She had completely lost consciousness by the time she landed on the ground.

"I know you still have a dinner date Luthor, so I'll keep it short." Nightwing moved to face Lex.

"I suppose you're wanting to know about Cadmus."

"You can start there." He took a deep breath as he bridled his anger back.

"Very well. There's no point of hiding. While you're not as clever as the Bat, you were bound to stumble upon it eventually.

"I was there, if that's what you want to know. Orchestrated the entire thing, forcing everyone to their limit until they could give me nothing more, and had they been more competent, I could have gone farther."

Nightwing felt his body temperature rise as Luthor spilled his guts in front of him. The way the devil was so calm and collected, no concern for the damage he caused, the lives he ruined. His knuckles began turning white under his gloves as he clenched them together to reel his emotions. The two began circling the desk.

"It's a shame what happened, but nothing important was hurt."

Nightwing closed the distance between the two. He moved smoothly as he slammed Luthor's face to the desk, pinning his arm behind his back, a technique he had perfected while at the police academy in Blüdhaven. "And what you did to Batgirl was just another night at work then, huh?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Nightwing brought the villain up to face him, the scowl on his face warning the CEO to tread lightly. Luthor straightened himself up and pushed himself away from the vigilante.

"I don't know to what you're referring to, Boy, but I was talking about the lab fire at Cadmus. Myself and two other scientist were working on a compound to extend the life and functionality of a transplanted organ. I pushed too hard and mistakes were made leading to the fire. No one was hurt. But I assure you, if Batgirl was on _my_ property a few nights ago, she, or any other of you illegal do-gooders, was trespassing."

The look on Nightwing's face remained unchanged as his thoughts began racing.

" _He has to be lying."_

"Don't overwork your brain trying to think of a solution." Luthor opened a desk drawer taking out a small rectangular object. "Everything you want to see is on this. The entire night up until the explosion. Check for tampering, editing, whatever you need to settle the paranoid mind of yours. I'm sure you won't find a bat ear or cape in sight."

He tossed the device which Nightwing caught in mid-air. It was a USB, the signature Lex Corp insignia in gold paint across the front. He analyzed it for a second before looking back at Luthor.

"If you're lying, I will perso-"

His communicator began going off urgently in his ear.

"Nightwing."

His expression deepened as he heard the news from the other side of the line.

"I'm on my way."

He looked back at Lex, a smug look on his face. "Looks like duty calls. But please, feel free to drop by anytime. I've got nothing to hide."

Nightwing walked over to the same window he entered in keeping his eyes on the other man in the room the whole time. He shot his grapple to the nearest building and was whisked away seconds later.

Luthor watched as the hero disappeared into the setting sun. He turned as Mercy began to wake,moving to help her off the ground. He looked wistfully out the window again.

"Mercy, call the boys. I believe a meeting is in order."

 _ **Mount Justice**_

 _ **April 3, 21:22 EST**_

" _You wanna know what happened to Batgirl, get down here now. I found the son of gun who did it."_

That was the message that had him rushing out of Luthor's office to the nearest zeta tube minutes earlier. He was itching to get his hands on the guy who had nearly murdered his best friend, but was weary of the man he would meet. As of late Superboy had been off his game and not as trustworthy as Nightwing would have hoped. Nevertheless, if there was any possibility that this man could wrap this case up, he was going to jump on the opportunity.

He definitely wasn't done with Luthor. He would investigate the video, but he knew there was something more going on than he was revealing.

"Nightwing. B01." Miss Martian passed him as he stepped out the transportation device. He grabbed her shoulder before she could speed off.

"M'gann, where is he?"

She made an exasperated face before she answered. "It would be best if you just see for yourself."

She brought him back to the interrogation room he had been earlier that day. He could hear Superboy exploding at someone before he even stepped into the room. When he finally entered, his eyes widened with shock, his spirit riddled anger.

"He brought a _civilian_ here? Is he out of his mind?"

Miss Martian stared through the window, her hands on her hips. "I told him this was a bad idea before he got here, but he was hellbent on bringing this guy in."

The yelling on the other side continued. The man Superboy had brought in was skinny, his clothes dirt stained. As Superboy continued to chew him out, the more it looked like the man was going to pee himself. He had made some bad judgment calls these past few days, but Nightwing was appalled that Superboy would have him to believe this man was supposed to be the one who overcame him and nearly killed Barbara.

He managed to reign his anger in before he knocked on the glass and opened the door.

"A word."

Superboy glared at his accused before stepping out.

"What?!"

"What's wrong with you? We don't ever bring a civilian or anyone else unauthorized into the Watchtower or the Cave. If you want to put your life in danger, fine, but don't you dare endanger anyone else's. Not that you're above that."

"Look, you can hit me with all the rules and regulations you want, but if you care about Batgirl like you say, then you'll take this guy in."

"This guy? He looks like he weighs 10 pounds. And he's scared to death."

"I'm telling you it's him. Why would I lie about this? So I could clear my name? I want to put this dirtwad behind bars just as bad as you do."

Maybe it was the serious pleading in his eyes, perhaps it was the same burning desire to catch the man who was behind this, or the fact he didn't want to make the League look a fool in front of this civilian; whatever the reason, he took a breath and nodded.

"Not another word from you. And if you lose control, you're out of here."

Superboy simply grunted. Miss Martian stayed there while they stepped in together. The stranger in the room began to move away from the two heroes.

"I… I don't know anything, honest. If this is about the time I jaywalked last week… I looked both ways. I really just had somewhere to be. But I don't have any knowledge to what's going on. He just grabbed me." The voice only further confirmed the petrified emotion radiating from his actions.

"Calm down. It's alright. Despite what it seems like," Nightwing looked back at Superboy who stood in the corner, "we're not trying to hurt you."

The scraggly man that sat before him seemed to soften his features a little, visibly relaxing. His shoulders slacked as he began to return to his chair.

"So… why am I here then?" he asked still cautious.

"We're in the middle of an investigation and were hoping you could help."

"So I'm not in trouble?"

"Not as far as we know."

He sat in his chair. "I don't if I can help, but I'll try."

"Hey, that's all we can ask," Nightwing replied. Superboy groaned in annoyance.

"Why don't we start out with introductions. I'm Nightwing, and my…," he searched for the word, "partner is Superboy." The former Boy Wonder stuck his hand out to the man across the table.

"Jeremiah. Jeremiah Danvers." He stuck his hand out warily at first, but soon released his tension. The reassuring look on the hero's face easing his mind.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Danvers. So how does a guy like you keep busy? Where do you work?" He discreetly snapped his fingers three times before scratching his ear.

"I… I work for the Mint."

"Yeah? You make the money?"

"No, I drive the truck from the Mint to the surrounding banks."

"So you deliver it? Just as important. So how about after hours. How does that look? Come home to a meal, wife and kids surrounding you?"

Jeremiah chuckled. "Not quite. My wife and I are divorced. About a year. She has the kids most of the time."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Ahh. It's fine. A normal day after work isn't anything special. I'll shower, eat a TV dinner or something, read, and go to bed at about 10 or 11. If I'm to mentally exhausted to read, I'll watch TV. It's boring, but the mundane is how I like it."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

Jeremiah began to fidget in his chair. "Is this helping at all?"

"No, it's great. You're helping us tremendously. So the silent night life, huh? So is it like that every night?"

"For the most part."

"Yeah? So you were in your house two nights ago around 2 AM?"

His face began to twist and his body shifted before he answered. "Yes… I mean… No. Kinda." He inhaled deeply. "No. I wasn't."

Nightwing's heart accelerated, and he could practically hear Superboy's face twisting in anger.

"L-let me explain," the accused quickly interjected. "I was out with some co-workers. Friday after work they invited me out with them to a nightclub. I said no at first, but one of my friends convinced me. To be honest, I should have just stayed home. They all ended up drunk, trying to hook me up with some scandalous skank every few seconds. I ended up just being the designated driver. I had to drive everyone home, and by the time I had actually arrived at my house, it was late."

"How late?" Superboy bit out.

His eyes shifted nervously between the two heroes. "Definitely after 3:00 in the morning."

"Why were you so scared to tell us that?" Nightwing asked.

"I suppose I didn't want to accidentally incriminate myself for something. I know I didn't do anything, but I'm just a paranoid person."

"Then what were you doing out there tonight? Why did you attack me?" the Boy of Steel slammed his hands down on the table, the expression on his face doing a terrible job of hiding the snarl.

"I was dropping off my kids." Jeremiah's voice quivered with fear.

"In the middle of the forest?" Nightwing pulled Superboy back from the table, sending him back to the corner he had been in previously. They exchanged glares before Nightwing continued.

"Just tell us what you were doing out tonight."

"I was dropping my kids at Deborah's house."

"Who's Deborah?"

"My ex-wife. She had a family emergency late last night and she called me to watch the kids. I stayed at her house that night with them. Then she called me the next day saying it was going to be longer than she thought. So I took them to my house. When she got home tonight, I took them back to her house and hung out for a little. It was about 8:00 when I left.

"I tried to beat the rain, but my car jumped a pothole. Then it started making noises and I had to pull over. My tire was flat, and the city was still 30 minutes away. I accidentally left my phone at Deborah's house. And my flashlight battery died while I was using it. And on top of all that, it had started to rain. I just wanted to get home."

He turned towards Superboy. "I really didn't mean to attack you. When I went through the forest, I was hoping to maybe find a gas station or someone that could help me on the other side. And I often get lost in the moment, so much so I have tunnel vision. So when the lightning struck and the tree caught on fire, I panicked. And your figure is very intimidating especially considering the circumstances. I thought you were a bear or some other wild animal."

Nightwing could see Superboy struggling with his anger. "Then why did you run after I confronted you?" Superboy asked.

"Run?"

"Don't play dumb! You hit me across the face with your tire iron and ran! When I caught up, then you attack me. What game are you playing and what did you do to Batgirl?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Honestly. I came up to you and ran because you scared me. You had murder in your eyes. When you caught up, you attacked me. Then I remember waking up here."

Superboy reached across the table and forced the Jeremiah in the air. "Liar!"

Nightwing rushed over, wrenching the victim from his teammate's hands. He stared bullets at him as he pushed him to the far end of the room.

"Get out." His voice was a deep growl, one he never believed he would use on anyone. He knew before he even finished the short phrase he sounded like his long time mentor. He respected Batman, but to get to a point where he had become like him, scared him. Batman chose to see the bad before he saw the good, something that had made him paranoid and reclusive. He never wanted that for himself, but this whole situation was pushing him beyond the scope of his usually optimistic personality.

Superboy stepped out, shaking the room as he slammed the door. Nightwing took a long sigh before turning to face Jeremiah again. "I'm really sorry about all this. You've been a real help, but I think we just missed a clue somewhere that we needed to solve this case."

"It's alright. I'm just sorry I couldn't be of any use. I hope you catch who you're looking for."

"Thanks. Miss Martian is outside. She'll take you home and the League will pay for your car to be taken to your house and the expenses for the tire."

"Thank you."

Nightwing escorted him out. Superboy glared at Jeremiah the whole way out, and before Nightwing could react, Superboy had pummeled Jeremiah again. This time it was Miss Martian who removed the hero from their bystander. Jeremiah quickly running to stand next to her like a kid running to his mother.

"Take him home." Nightwing ordered as he held Superboy back. " _Erase his mind of all this once he reaches his house. Implant this: a stranger took him home to keep him out the rain. And the same stranger said he would pay to have his car towed and fixed."_

Miss Martian nodded as she received the instructions, leading the still cowering Jeremiah out to the zeta tube.

Nightwing turned back to Superboy who pushed him off.

"What the hell is your problem?" Nightwing asked, ready to shove a shard of Kryptonite down his throat.

"He smirked at me as he walked out. The man was lying the entire time, playing us, but like a fool you believed him. You're letting the man who nearly killed your best friend walk out of here!"

The former Boy Wonder couldn't look at Superboy head on. He still believed Connor was still in some way responsible for Barbara. He took a breath before responding.

"Did you get my signal?" He was referring to the scratching of his ear preceded by his snaps.

"Yeah. I got it." Nightwing had wanted him to listen to Jeremiah's heartbeat. Any increase would represent itself as a lie.

"And?"

He angrily sighed. "There was no fluctuation. But he was lying through his teeth and you believe him."

Nightwing held up his hand with surprising patience. "I don't care what you think. You have to look at the facts. You think I didn't look to see if he was lying?"

It was Superboy's turn to look off.

"No matter how bad either of us wants that to be who we're looking for, it's not. So next time you try an underhanded stunt like that to save your skin-"

"Save my skin?" Nightwing could hear the indignation in his voice. "You still think that what happened to Batgirl is my fault? Well, news flash. It's not. And if it was this is League business, which, last time I checked, didn't involve you."

Nightwing's tone was hushed, but his voice was icy and his glare steel. "League or not, the next time you endanger Batgirl or the rest of the Team due to reckless endangerment or just your bullheaded stupidity, I don't care what the League does. I'll personally take care of you so that it doesn't happen again."

They stared at each other for a while before Nightwing left out.

 **PAGE BREAK**

Miss Martian and Jeremiah walked into the zeta tube.

"Thank you for taking me home. And I'm sorry I couldn't help."

"It's not your fault."

She could see him looking around in her peripheral vision. In her mind, she was absolutely dumbfounded at how Connor could accuse this man of, essentially, murder. She looked at him again. He was small in stature, had no muscle mass, and looked quite sickly. On top of it all, he had a quiet spirit. She could sense it. His presence was small and peaceful. He didn't look like he liked confrontations, let alone start one.

She knew this whole deal was weighing on her former boyfriend more than he would care to admit. Often he covered his concern with anger, like he was doing now. It put her in a tough spot. She wanted to agree with him, but with an accusation as bold faced as this, she couldn't find it in herself to do so.

When she looked up, he was looking at her expectantly

"I"m sorry Jeremiah. Were you saying something?"

"I was just saying that you all have a neat spot. It must have everything."

"Oh yeah. It does. Everything a Justice League needs to fight crime."

"So how come I haven't seen you before on TV like the rest of the League?"

She thought a moment before she answered. She didn't want to divulge more than was necessary.

"With my appearance, we just figured it would be best I stay in the background, especially with the whole Reach catastrophe still blowing over."

"That's a shame. I think you're very pretty."

Her face portrayed the feelings of both her heart and head. Her eyes widened in shock as her lips curling into a slight smile.

She cleared her throat before answering. "Thank you."

"Recognized. Miss Martian. B05."

Soon they were in Washington DC. Jeremiah stumbled for several before slipping on a curb, landing on Miss Martian.

"Sorry. Sorry. I'm really clumsy."

He got up and helped her, pulling her close as he did so. For a few seconds they stood chest to chest. It was Jeremiah's turn to smirk.

Miss Martian cleared her throat and pushed off. "Let's… let's get you home."

She walked off, but the smirk remained on Jeremiah's face.

"You must be lonely being the only female of your species here."

She shook her head in disagreement.

"So you're into Earth men. Interesting." Miss Martian raised an eyebrow at his last statement. Not only was it oddly stated, but she thought she heard an accent in his words.

"I've always found exotic women interesting. And a woman of power is always attractive."

He moved in close again. Miss Martian began to feel the tension between the two, moving away from him again. This time she could definitely hear the shoddy Spanish accent he was trying to put on.

"And that green skin of yours drives me wild." He moved into kiss her. She reacted without having to think, using her telekinesis to push him to the ground.

"Jeremiah!"

He sat up propping himself with one hand, lustfully looking at her. "Please call me Jermaine." He picked himself off the ground.

Her face was twisted in disgust as she watched him stand.

"Feisty. I love it."

"Look Jeremiah-"

"Jermaine."

"Jeremiah, Jermaine, whatever you choose to call yourself, that's not going to work again. I don't appreciate your approach. Now show me where you live so I can escort you home and be done."

He continued his smirk. "Of course, _mi corazón._ Anything to bring you home. I live on 15th Street, two blocks from here. But please follow me."

He walked in front of her leading her to his home. Through the silence, Miss Martian could feel the uncomfortable air Jeremiah had established. She watched him closely to assure he didn't make any moves.

It took them five minutes to arrive at his stoop. Miss Martian continued to glare at the man.

"I suppose this is goodbye. Perhaps a little kiss farewell."

"Someone will be by with your car tomorrow," she replied, purposely ignoring his last remark.

Jeremiah raised an eyebrow as he opened the door. Stepping in, he motioned for his escort to do the same. Begrudgingly, she stepped in. She jumped as she felt the smack land on her rear.

She turned around quickly, furious at the lecherous actions that this introverted man was taking at her.

"Jeremiah!"

He grabbed her into him, pulled her close and planted his lips on hers while she was still in shock.

"I told you, call me Jermaine."

She slapped him across the face. He stumbled back a little before catching his balance. He closed the door, licking his lips as he savored the kiss. He began walking towards his couch.

"So are you staying the night? If so, I think I can spare some room in my-"

Miss Martian had had enough of his lascivious talk. She entered his mind ready to erase all encounters of this night.

Jeremiah crumpled over on his couch clutching his head in his hands. The pain started creeping back into the Martian's mind. It started imperceptible but grew to nearly excruciating. She quickly retreated, a headache forming nearly instantly, scattering her train of thought.

Jeremiah began to stir, groaning as he changed his position on the couch. His eyes opened and roamed the room. As they landed on the Martian, he began to yell, almost falling out of his seat.

"Who are you?! Get out my house!" He ran to grab a bat from a side room.

Miss Martian forced herself to grab her wits. She turned invisible before the startled man could return. Within a few seconds she had density shifted out the room. She stayed on the steps for a while she tried to let the headache pass over. After a few minutes she made her way to the zeta tube, the headache clinging on as well as this unusual turn of events.


	5. Chapter 4: 100 Percent of Nothing

**I don't own Young Justice or any related characters.**

 **A/N: I'm sorry for the wait. I really am. I tell myself I'm going to finish it up and upload, and it just keeps getting pushed back. I do like this chapter. So I hope it makes up for the short hiatus. Don't forget to drop a favorite, or a follow, or at least a review.**

 **READ. REVIEW. ENJOY.**

 **-PAGE BREAK-**

 _ **Washington General Hospital**_

 _ **April 4, 13:29 EST**_

Dick knocked on the door of room 520.

"Come in." He didn't recognize the voice. A small panic set in before he realized it could just simply be the nurse.

As he opened the door, a small sense of relief washing over him finding he was correct, the nurse, dressed in scrubs, was making notes on the clipboard as he entered. With Captain Atom knowing where Batgirl was he couldn't take any more chances.

"Hey Dick!" Barbara shouted at him. The nurse beside him chuckled as he waved back at his friend.

"She just came out of surgery on her femur. She may be a little out of it and maybe even a little tired."

Dick nodded at her statements. "Thanks."

The nurse replaced the board and exited the room.

He put on his best smile as he gripped the manila folder in his hand tighter. He was happy to see Barbara, but knew this wasn't a social visit. He was still angry for the stunt Superboy had pulled the day before. And although he had found no evidence on this Jeremiah Danvers, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this. But now as he saw Barbara so lighthearted, he found himself wrestling if she should bring this, along with other news, to her. He would hate to bring up any traumatic memories for her.

She looked and sounded a lot better even with the surgery she just had. Her voice still sounded slightly hoarse, but had greatly improved.

"So they hopped you up on morphine? Looks like it's doing wonders."

"Yep. Can't feel a thing. Bring me anything this time?"

He placed the folder behind his back. This wasn't the time.

"Not today. Today I thought you just needed someone to talk to."

Her smile widened. "How did you know? I try with the nurses, but it's just small talk. It gets really lonely up here. I know nobody's supposed to know, but it would be nice for some more company."

"How lonely? Babs, you've only been here two days and have been asleep most of it."

"I actually don't sleep a lot. I can't even if I wanted to, and right now I haven't really wanted to. And the only people who know about me have busy lives. Tim hasn't really been able to get away, and Alfred only came briefly yesterday." Her smile had faded some, but it still rested on her face.

Dick rubbed the back his neck, a wave of guilt passing over him. "Barbara, I'm really sorry. I… we just don't want you to get hurt again. If no one knows then, no one can get you. But I promise to come by more often."

Barbara nodded, content with his answer. "So why don't you sit and stay awhile now?"

He sat in the chair next to the head of her bed. "Not much on television to keep you occupied, huh?"

She adamantly shook her head. "I've been in a show abyss since the beginning of March."

"Really? No shows, no one else's drama to live in? Whatever shall you do?"

They laughed. The joyous noise interrupted by Barbara's stomach.

"Have you been eating well?"

"Haven't had much of an appetite, but you know hospital food."

"Yeah, paste made to look like real food. I swear that's the only reason Bruce doesn't come to be treated at the hospital."

"He's been spoiled by Alfred's scrumptious cooking. I wish I had some now."

"Well when you get better, I'm sure he wouldn't object to cooking your favorite meal. Especially if his and everyone else's favorite Robin does a little convincing."

"You're so full of it." She began to shift her leg as she sat up. Moving it, her foot missed the sling, and the leg dropped, the foot landing on the metal bedpole. Her face twisted in pain slightly. Dick got up quickly, moving with super speed to aid her.

"Good thing for the morphine." Barbara smirked.

"Yeah. You trying to give me a heart attack?" He helped her adjust her foot before sitting down. His gaze remained on her lower injuries.

"Dick, my leg is fine. As is the rest of me, up here."

"Sorry."

She looked hard at him as he moved to look at her face. She was one of the few that could see his face without the glasses or the mask. His light blue eyes were hard, clearly wrestling something in his mind.

"Alright. Spill it."

"What are you talking about?"

She gave him a knowing look. "I may be half dead, but I still know how to read a person. You had this same look on your face when you visited me last time. And that guilty story you gave me was a cover-up for what you really had to say. So, Richard Grayson, spill it, before I have to get up and make you."

She was definitely good, but he didn't know how to approach the subject. However, she wasn't going to let him go until he gave her what she was looking for.

He stared past her not being able to look her directly in the eye. He took a breath before starting. "When Tim and Alfred visited the first night you were here, they were asked if they were kin to you."

"So they could identify me?"

"No. They wanted a… a… a DNA test. They had a few questions about you after seeing your… your war-"

"They asked you all for permission for a rape kit?" The smile Barbara had been holding since Dick's entrance faded. A frown deepening in her face as a surprised look crossed her friend's.

"I've been here for awhile, it was bound to come up again." She added, seeing the expression.

Richard felt himself sinking with her countenance. He knew this would happen if he told her, but that was no longer an option. She had a right to know the truth.

"The doctor told me a little after you left the first day. They took a kit within the next few hours."

"And what did they say?"

"They, uh… they hadn't given me an answer yet. Being in and out of surgery, I suppose they didn't have time, or they just thought it best if I was left in the dark so I couldn't be hurt any worse." She turned her head away from him briefly.

"Barbara, I didn't mean to leave you without knowing. I… I just couldn't see you hurt anymore." Richard returned, the last sentence barely above a whisper. As she began to turn back, she took a moment to collect herself before turning completely to him and saying, "Thank you."

Richard's face frowned. "For what?"

"I knew you knew something the first time you came by. Them when the doctors told me I knew that was what you were hiding. I was angry with you at first, but I realized you wanted to keep me from the heartache. At least while you could." A single tear rolled down her face as she looked towards the door.

"I should have been there to help you. I could've-"

"Maybe you could've. Maybe it wouldn't have mattered." She paused as her single tear was followed by a few others. Her voice sounded hoarse again. "Sometimes we can't change fate. But then I think about this," she gestured to her whole body, "and in this work you expect a broken bone, a concussion, even a little emotional trauma, but this. The violation of my personal space. I never thought anyone would stoop so low. I know I've seen it in Gotham, but you never think 'I'm next.' You never think how an intimate part of life could be so perverted, and I let it happen."

"Babs, no one lets this happen."

"Regardless if anyone lets it happen, it happened to me. And I don't know how I'll get past it. Even if nothing happened, the psychological damage is already there. That's why I can't sleep, why I can't eat. I just..." Her gaze fell as she looked over her injuries, another tear rolling down her face.

Her voice was soft as were her face and hands. Dick looked at her thoroughly as he took them in his own. She looked broken. Her spirit looked tired, as if it just wanted to give up. She had always been a strong figure in his life, someone he could talk to when things got rough. Now the tables had been flipped and he had to be the strong one, for her.

"You're right." Barbara turn to once again look at him. "It did happen to you. Not to me, Tim, or Bruce. Heck, it didn't even happen to Connor."

She sat up to face him. "Where are you going with this Richard?"

"It didn't happen to us. But that's because none of us could handle it. Barbara, you are the strongest person I've met. You're able to take a rough situation and find good in it. You're not physically the strongest on our team, but your ability to talk someone off the ledge by connecting emotionally is way more powerful than brute strength.

"Bruce couldn't handle this. He's too stubborn to face the reality of the situation. Connor couldn't handle this. He's too angry and consumed by revenge. Tim, he's too young and inexperienced; it would crush his spirit. I couldn't handle it either. I'd be too concerned with self-guilt. But you, you know how to see the bad and make it good.

"You've seen the rough nights in Gotham. A double homicide that scars a child for life, a break-in that leaves a family hopeless, a rape that never leaves the minds of everyone involved." Barbara cringed as the graphic images passed through her mind.

"You've seen it, and somehow have been able to keep a bright light in that dark, criminal underworld.

"When I've had a bad night, I don't call Bruce. I mean Bruce is physically strong. He can look a graphic, gruesome situation in the face and not be deterred. But that's because he has trained himself to be rid of emotion. I call you. I know that whatever I'm facing, as long as you're with me, I can do it.

"Bruce is a great partner. Every detail is accounted for. Tim is great too. He listens really well. But when I need a partner who will really have my back, there's nobody I would want more. So, no, it didn't happen to anyone else. But there's no person better equipped to take this and keep moving than you."

The tears had started flowing again, and though she did her best to hide them, Richard could still see. He stood, moving right by her side. Taking his free hand, he carefully caressed her face, using his thumb to dry her tears. He flashed one of his most comforting smiles. As he leaned over her to help her reposition again, he could feel her warm breath against his neck.

"I think you're all-," he began. He couldn't finish as she pulled him in for a kiss. It took him a second to realize what was happening, but he soon let go, closing his eyes in content, letting his desire for her outrule any other thought. And the more he desired, the more passionate the kiss became. Even his desire to breathe wouldn't allow him to push away. He only wanted her.

Staying like that for what seemed like forever, Richard only opened his eyes at the gentle push he felt from his front side. He licked his lips, savoring her taste, smiling at the woman in front of him, as he caught his breath. Barbara looked in horror at her actions, her chest heaving up and down from sheer terror and lack of oxygen.

She began apologizing profusely. "Dick. I am so sorry. I… I don't know what happened. The… the… the morphine must be still be in my system. I really don't know what-"

"Barbara, calm down. I'm not complaining. I'm just whelmed it's over." He was grinning from ear to ear. His eyes twinkling with delight.

Barbara averted her eyes as her cheeks turned a shade of light pink. She noticed the manila folder on the chair.

"Is the folder the reason you came by?" She asked in an effort to hurriedly change the subject.

Dick followed her gaze to the folder he had absentmindedly discarded. Now, picking it up, the content seemed heavier than before.

"If it's about Captain Atom, I know I was a real pain about it the other day, but I really don't know much to say about him. He came in while I was half conscious. I don't know how he knew, but he was asking a lot of questions. Things like 'What was your mission assignment?' or 'Do you know who did this to you?'"

"Don't worry about Atom. I was out of line with how I acted. I said things before I thought them through 'cause I was mad at the whole situation."

"Have you talked to him about it? Is his file in the folder?"

"Uh, no. Atom's been AWOL since last I came in here. I've looked, but nothing. I'm definitely not feeling the aster about this. Really, I'm not feeling it for this whole deal." He waved the file in the air. "This included."

"So what's in it?"

He took a deep sigh before he answered. "Yesterday, your _partner_ , Connor brought this civilian into the Cave. He claimed this was the man that attacked the two of you."

She could hear the contempt in his voice. "So you don't think it was him?" She smirked as she pulled out the pictures.

He could hear the sarcasm on her voice, but ignored it, moving on to finish explaining. "No, I don't. The man looks like he might be 100 pounds. And when I found Connor interrogating him, he looked like he was pooping his pants. He was scared to tell us his whereabouts for fear of 'incriminating himself'. The guy just doesn't look like he could do," he gestured to her injuries, "that." He sat back down in his chair. "I know I can't just judge off looks. Bruce and I have taken down plenty of guys that didn't 'look' like psychopaths. I've been wrestling with it all night. Every time my head says put it off, my gut won't leave me alone. So here it is.

"Those are pictures from the surveillance camera as he entered and left. I know you can't remember much, but sometimes a picture can unlock a memory."

Barbara looked intently at each picture, her smirk transforming into a frown. She had long drowned Dick out as her full concentration was on the images before her.

"Babs, did you hear me?"

"What?"

"Just try and do what you can. If none of his features ring any bells it's fine. I'll work anoth-"

"I don't recognize him." She readily replied.

"Oh, okay. I'll… I guess it's back to the drawing board." Dick responded- taken aback by the shortness of her answer.

He took the pictures and reorganized them in the folder. Leaning in to touch her hand he reassured her, "Thanks again." Barbara quickly snatched her hand away. She looked at him angrily, a hint of unfamiliarity in her eyes that looked into his spirit.

"Barbara are you alright?" Richard leaned in to try and comfort her, but again she pulled away.

"Get away from me. Don't touch me!"

"Barbara, it's me."

She had the same glazed over look in her eye that she had when he found her that night in the woods. Her breathing had become shallow and her face began beading with sweat.

"Stay back!" Her arms began flailing in every direction, fighting him off then taking to the invisible attacker again. Her good leg was kicking back and forth in an effort to ward off whatever attack was happening in her mind. But her entire body began to slow. Her eyes rolled back into her head. She laid still as the heart monitor she was attached to flat-lined.

Panic arose in Dick's body. His heart beat faster as he called for the doctors. Maybe if it had been a stranger, he would've known what to do, but his emotions were running high and his mind was running blank.

"Hey! Someone get in here!"

The seconds that passed seemed like hours before the doctors rushed in.

"We're going to have to ask you to leave." They pushed him out as he stole one last look at her still form.

 **PAGE BREAK**

Richard stood next to the bench in the hallway outside Barbara's room. His head rested against his forearm as he leaned against the wall. He banged his free hand against the brick wall, desperately wishing he could take his anger out on someone at that moment. Wishing everything that he could take her place right now.

He turned around and took a few breaths before taking his seat again. The doctors had been in and out several times for the last twenty minutes. The whole time he had felt useless in his seat.

"Mr. Grayson?"

He lifted his head as the doctor approached him.

"She's alive and stable at this point."

Dick let out a sigh of relief as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Can I see her?"

"Not at this time, no. She's been sedated. And we'll most likely keep her under for at least the rest of the day, possibly even tomorrow."

"Why is she sedated?"

"The emotional trauma she was experiencing was causing a physical reaction. After we revived her, she went into a frenzy. And might I add, she has a mean right hook."

The doctor had tried to make the mood lighthearted, but the look on Dick's face told him he had less leeway than he thought.

He cleared his throat before continuing. "Her reaction was going to undo the work done through surgery. The sedation should help to mellow her, make her more placid. But we will give you a call the moment you can see her again."

Dick nodded, several things crossing his mind at the same time.

As the doctor left, the weight of what really happened sank in. He opened up the folder and examined the images. Barbara had recognized Jeremiah. Perhaps it was a combination of trauma and something else, but there was no longer any doubt in his mind that that man had assaulted her. And Richard had let him walk away.

 _ **Mount Justice**_

 _ **April 4, 22:35**_

The force of his hand nearly broke a hole through the wall. The noise echoed against the other metal walls of the room.

"Connor! Please." M'gann gripped her hair through her fingers and closed her eyes. The headache she had incurred while escorting Jeremiah had intensified despite her efforts to reduce it.

"If you'll remember, you stepped into my room. If your head hurts so bad, leave." He snapped.

She looked dejectedly toward the door as she began to walk out.

He let out a sigh knowing he was out of line. She had come in in an effort to help. "You don't have to go."

M'gann stopped right before reaching the door. After a glance over her shoulder, she returned to her seat. Superboy sat on the edge of his bed across from her. Whenever M'gann was around he felt different. They weren't together, but he could still see she had feelings for him. And deep down he knew he had feelings for her. He didn't feel as if he had to have everything perfect with her, in fact, it was quite the opposite. No matter how badly he messed up, she was always willing to console him, which was most likely the reason she had entered his dwelling space now. But despite the mutual attraction, things were still awkward between them.

M'gann closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

"Why don't you take something for it?"

"I have. I've eaten, drank several bottles of water, and have tried to rest. I just don't think this is a regular headache."

"Don't tell me Martian headaches are any different than anyone else's."

"It's not that. This is more like… psychic feedback. Ever since I escorted Jermaine home, I've felt like my head is going to explode."

"Jermaine?"

She blushed as her eyes widened in realization. "Jeremiah. I meant Jeremiah."

Connor could hear the elevation in her heartbeat. Something was off. "Did something happen last night?"

She paused as she let the revolting memories pass. Shaking her head, she replied, "Nothing I couldn't handle. It's just that Jeremiah is not the mild-mannered man I thought him to be."

Connor's face began to twist in disapproval. "But you still don't think he did it, do you?"

"Connor, it's not that I don't believe you. But you have to look at the facts."

"You sound just like Nightwing. I guess you are taking his side."

"I'm not taking his side. I'm not taking anyone's side. I just want this all to be sorted out."

"Well it's gonna be hard to do that if you're letting a guilty man walk free."

"There's no proof he's guilty. He passed your lie detector test."

"Big whoop. I can name five people on the Team or the League that can pass a polygraph. That doesn't mean he's not lying."

"But he didn't know he was taking a polygraph."

Connor turned away, bringing his hand toward the wall next to him for another release of rage. He stopped it inches away, remembering the predicament of his guest.

She sighed, conceding to avoid any further confrontation. "Alright. Maybe Jeremiah found some way to lie. But you've seen his stature, and I don't think he's a meta. What purpose would Cadmus use him for? What would Cadmus be doing that they need him?"

She caught him staring off into the distance before refocusing on her. But his expression had changed. His face radiated with anger.

"You think I'm crazy don't you? You're just humoring me so I can see the error of my ways and come off my soap box."

"I wouldn't patronize you."

"Of course you wouldn't. Just like I wouldn't create a story for attention, but that's what I'm doing isn't it?"

"Connor, I never said that."

"You're no different than Nightwing, Aqualad, or anyone else. Superboy, you're crazy. Superboy you're only doing this to save your skin. You're a danger to everyone here. Superboy let me humor you so you can see your foolishness and drop your stupid idea. You're just like the rest, worse even, 'cause you made me think you care."

"Connor, I would never say that to you. Would you just listen?" M'gann tried to respond, but found her focus interrupted by the throbbing pain in her head as she clenched her teeth hoping to distract her body from it.

"Connor I told you! Please." A gaping hole was now placed among the dents.

"This is my- You know what, forget it. Stay. I'm going out."

"Wait." She called after him, but he was already out the door. She wanted to chase after him, but her headache was making it difficult to do so. She stayed and nursed her temples, hoping he would just blow off steam and be back.

 _ **Washington DC**_

 _ **April 4, 23:01**_

He walked out the zeta tube. An immeasurable amount of anger swelled in his chest. He didn't know where he was headed, but in the back of his mind it just felt right. It was like his legs knew where to go without his mind giving thought to a destination.

But maybe that was what was disconcerting about it. He knew something was wrong, but he couldn't stop himself from doing it. Yet it felt right; his subconscious making decisions with no objections from his conscious mind.

He couldn't think straight. It was difficult to create cohesive thoughts, only raw emotions swimming around, anger at the top of the list. His temperament dragging his legs for the ride as he tried to find clarity in his own mind. Maybe that was why he couldn't stop his body from where ever it was going.

With the war raging in his mind, it didn't take him long before he was standing outside of Cadmus' doors. A series of memories rushing him as he entered the glass doorway.

 _His body was unable to move to prevent the injection being forced in his arm. The cold serum sent a chill up his spine. His body shut down as his mind slipped back into a fog._

What happened those two nights? He hated not knowing. And with Batgirl hospitalized, his moral conscience was eating him from the inside out. He knew it was his fault she was there. He had left her. The details still were hazy, but he knew that Nightwing was right. Had he stayed and helped, she wouldn't be fighting for her life at this moment. The more he tried to replay the moment, the more infuriated he became, trapping himself deeper in his own head.

His legs continued to guide him down towards the secret elevator. It sped down to the lowest level as the doors closed. Even though it had been years since he had been in the depths of his "birthplace", his body knew where to take him. He stepped out and continued on his path. His feet bringing him to a familiar DNA locked door reading "PROJECT KR" above it.

It took him a moment, but as soon as it hit him, his head snapped in realization. The swamp his brain had been muddling through seemed to pass, clarity moving in. He stopped short of the front of the door, now that he was in control again. Almost as if he had set off a motion sensors on an automated door, it swung open, a tall figure stepping into the light, an expectant look on his face.

"Luthor!"

Superboy charged, rage fueling his movements. He reached out ready to strangle the man. But every attempt was cut short by a constriction of his muscles. His arms began to burn as he continued to try and attack Luthor, every attempt falling short.

"Do you really think I would lead you here and not have a way of controlling you? Clearly that stupidity came from Superman's genes."

Luthor moved closer to the clone, moving his hand from his earpiece to grabbing the chin of the young man. He examined, studying his artwork. Though it had been years, he was still one of the most remarkable feats of science he had accomplished, until now. It was the closest he had been to defeating Superman and the Justice League, putting him on top. But all of that was going to change, and this wonderful specimen was going to help bring him there.

Again, Superboy did his best to grab and attack Luthor, but his arms refused him. His body wouldn't respond to his thoughts just as it refused him earlier.

"Nanobots. They reroute the signals your nerves send so that your body does what I command without mind control. You do remember us giving them to you, don't you?"

Superboy's body shivered involuntarily as he relived the moment.

 _He fell to the ground, catching himself with his hand and knees. He used the platform he was previously attached to help himself up. Immediately he returned back to the ground, struggling to catch his breath. His wheezing became more ragged and desperate as Luthor stood over him._

 _Superboy looked up, almost pleading that Luthor end his suffering. A smug look appearing on the maniacal business man's face._

 _As his lungs continued to burn drastically running out of air, he felt his muscles tighten and relax as he was forced into a standing position. Soon his body began moving of its own accord, his breath finally returning to him. The smile on Luthor's face spreading._

"Perhaps you do. And if that is the case, I suppose we still have some training to do for Project ESP." Luthor continued.

Jeremiah stepped around the corner _,_ a shocked look in his eyes, yet a pleased smile coming to rest on his face as he laid eyes on the clone.

It took less time for the shock to wear off Superboy. Catching Luthor off guard, he lunged at Jeremiah, winding up to finish him off. He began to release the punch, itching for his hand to connect with his face. So when his body failed him, his hand frozen in place, he was confused. The forceful cease of the energy causing his muscles to tense up, creating a burning sensation. Jeremiah continued to stare at him, unflinching even by the threat of the possible injury. His eyes feeling as if they could pierce steel, wild and cold. No personality behind them.

"I told you. I wouldn't bring you here if I didn't have a way to control you. Like a good little soldier I've groomed you to be." At a touch of his earpiece, Superboy's body became rigid, standing at attention. "Or like a servant and his master." Another touch and the clone was on one knee, kneeling before Luthor. "I rather like this pose. Bowing to your master as it should be."

Superboy lifted his head, a snarl on his face. "Take off that earpiece and let's see how in control you are. You and your gopher boy."

"As much fun as that sounds, I'll have to decline. But you do make a good point. This way of control isn't the most secure or even the most efficient. It's just a contingency plan to be honest. Because even for all my intelligence, I find myself without the coveted meta-gene, my kryptonite, if you will. And even with the muscle I surround myself with, it isn't guaranteed that this plan won't fall through. But what if I added another piece of muscle?"

"Beef up that rat next to you. He can't protect you. And I'm not walking out of here until you both are on your way to Belle Reve."

Luthor gave Jeremiah a knowing look. "Jeremiah is here to make sure my other assistants don't get out of control. He won't have much interaction with you. I wouldn't want to put too much strain on him. The others don't have the same enhancements you have. I need the muscle of someone who knows too much."

The young hero sensed the sinister tone of the billionaire's voice. He knew that he was the one being referred to. "There's nothing you can say to make me work for you."

"You really don't think so? Foolishness. Well, I suppose you are more Superman than Luthor. But you look more like an Ultra Man to me." Again Superboy stood, no emotion on his face. Luthor waved his hand in front of the clone's face, no reaction as expected. He had installed several new code words in him during his short two-night stay, "Ultra Man" being one of them.

"I just love the effects of genetic modifying. Now, the real work begins."

 _ **Blüdhaven**_

 _ **April 5, 15:56**_

Nightwing sat in his chair staring intently at the footage playing in front of him.

"Shouldn't you be at school? You and I both know Bruce'll kill you if he knew you were shooting hookey while he's away."

Tim came from behind the door on the far end of the room, slight disappoint was spelled on his face. "Guess I still have a lot of work to do."

"You're getting better, but I'm sure he would have heard you as soon as you walked in the door."

Tim came to stood behind Dick, watching as he watched. Although Richard knew he was back there, and there wasn't much chance of him leaving, he secretly wished he would. He had had enough emotional distress for a lifetime in the past few days. He had to give it all he had to hold himself together after the incident with Barbara. He had let a guilty man walk. And now, he couldn't make heads or tales of this case, no matter how many clues they gave to him. Right now, he just wanted some time to himself so he could figure all of this out. That's why he had been looking at this video all night, hoping that if he drowned himself in his work, it would magically make his hurt go away. He shuddered knowing that he sounded like his father.

After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, Richard turned to face his guest. "And you're not in school because?"

Tim smiled surprised Dick didn't know. "It's spring break."

He responded back without missing a beat. "Then why aren't you using your spare time to patrol Gotham?"

"Because it's 4:00."

"Really?" Dick looked at his watch, scratching his head. "Guess it is."

Tim's amusement soon turned into curiosity. He knew Dick always threw himself wholeheartedly into his work, but this was unusual for him. "How long have you been up?"

Dick turned back around in his seat. "Went to see Barbara. Did some patrol. Couldn't sleep, so I've been looking at this for the last," he checked his watch again, "ten hours."

"Ten hours?! What are you looking at?"

"A couple days ago I visited Luthor hoping he could give me something."

"Any luck?"

"No, but with no one else able to remember anything, I didn't have much of a choice. He told me the explosion that came the same night that Connor and Barbara returned was caused by a lab experiment gone wrong. He and a couple of scientist trying to make some new serum, mixed some wrong chemicals, the lab went up in smoke. At least that what he said."

"You believed him?"

"No. But he gave me this USB with video footage to prove me wrong. And as much as I hate it, I can't find anything wrong with it."

"Did you test it for tampering and editing?"

"I've run it through every software I know, and I've combed over it several times, but it's over three hours of footage. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. Luthor's no second rate villain, and the fact that he gave this to me means he's done everything he knows how to make sure I don't find anything."

"Or maybe he told you the truth."

"Yeah right." He rubbed his face, exhausted from all that was going on around him. After this was over, he was going off the grid, treating himself to a much needed vacation.

"Want some help? I'm sure a fresh pair of eyes could help this go faster."

Dick pulled up a second chair, gesturing for Tim to sit. When he was settled, Dick started the video again. The timer at the bottom read two hours and fourteen minutes and continued to tick away steadily as they stared at the screen.

It seemed like ages as the two studied the film as a high school team does before the big game. As Tim looked up, the timer read two hours and forty-six minutes. An audible sigh of exasperation escaped his lips. How had Dick been able to do this for ten hours?

"It's only been thirty minutes. You're bored already?"

"Just need a new angle. Maybe… what if… what if there's nothing wrong with the footage? What if it's something technical, like the timer?"

"The timer just checks how long the footage is. And the clock and date were one of the first things I checked. They match up to the timeline of event."

"Yeah, but pause the tape." The take froze, an image of Luthor and two other scientist conducting the experiment as he had said. "There. In the background. That clock, it doesn't look like it matches up. Enhance it." A few seconds later, the clock filled the screen. "The one on display is right, 01:03. And the date, April 2. But the clock in the room says April 3, 22:48."

Dick gave a sly smile at his younger brother. "I could kiss you right now."

"As fun as that sounds, we just figured out Luthor lied. But we already knew that. The question is still 'Why?'"

"Here's a better question. If the date and time is April 3 at 22:48, how was he able to upload it to the system? I visited him before this was made. This is one of the most secure networks in the world. If he would of hacked in, I would have seen it."

Tim took the USB in his hand and held it to the light.

"Satellite uplink. The beaker's in the insignia."

"How were you able to see that without a magnifying lense. Unless…"

"I put one in my sunglasses."

Dick sighed as he rubbed his face. "I guess I'm more sleep deprived than I thought. Don't think I've ever been this restless."

"Reckless."

He glared at Tim. "That too. But like you said, this only confirms what we already know. We're no closer to stopping him than we were earlier. All we know is that Luthor is behind it." He slammed his fist on the desk.

Tim could see his exasperation. It didn't take a detective to see he was thinking of Barbara. He usually had focus, but knew that this extra fire was because she was hurt. He never was as good with expression or emotion as other people, better than Bruce, but neither him or Dick had the greatest example. All he knew was to sit and let him work it out. It was just be better for everyone that way.

"Maybe he-" Tim began as he brought his hand to his ear. "Robin."

Nightwing waited as he finished, closing his files down. He wasn't getting anywhere. This lead seemed to be another dead end.

He could tell by the expression on Tim's face that this was something big. Maybe he was no longer leader, but he was still available to help if he was needed.

"Aqualad just called an all hands on deck."

"Why?"

"Nuclear meltdown at all of Luthor's out-of-state locations."


	6. Chapter 5: Dead Ends

**I don't own Young Justice or any other related characters.**

 **A/N: I thank you guys for being patient with me. I know I have been sincerely slacking with updates. I know I keep saying its school's fault, but it really is. I'm gonna get better. I promise. Hold me to it. But I'm back now and yall know what to do.**

 **READ. REVIEW. ENJOY.**

 **-PAGE BREAK-**

 _ **Mount Justice**_

 _ **April 5, 16:47 EST**_

"This is Cat Grant reporting live from New York. The city is in panic as sirens go off all around. The nuclear reactor in Buchanan, normally stable, has reached a near critical state, and chaos has broken out."

"Reporting from Jamestown, Virginia, I'm Lois Lane. Behind me stands a crowd of horrified civilians at a lost on what to do or where to go as the nuclear reactor goes into meltdown."

"Angela Chen in South Carolina. My vacation has been interrupted by the unstable nuclear reactor in Jenkinsville. Hopefully it doesn't go off anytime soon."

"Here in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, the local nuclear reactor has gone into a shutdown causing the citizens to panic. This is Vicky Vale, saying God help us all."

Those gathered in the new Monitor Womb, shut off the newsfeed as Aqualad walked in. The zeta tube glow dimmed as Robin and Nightwing strolled in. Robin joined the others as Nightwing leaned against a wall in the back. Nodding as acknowledgement of their arrival, the leader began.

"As I am sure you all are aware, four nuclear reactors have begun shut down along the east coast. Each is located at an off site research and development branch of LexCorp. I do not believe that this is coincidence, but the connection is something to be investigated when the situation is less dire.

"You all have been split into groups. Alpha: Bumblebee, Lagoon Boy, and Static. Report to New York. Beta: Guardian, Impulse, and Wonder Girl, Pennsylvania. Gamma: Robin, Blue Beetle, and Beastboy, Virginia. Tigress and I will head to South Carolina.

"Your first priority is to stop the nuclear failure. If that can not be done, evacuate the civilians and contain the resulting fallout the best way you can. With so many lives at stake, this mission cannot fail. Team, move out!"

They moved in their assigned squads to the zeta tubes. Nightwing watched as all the groups left, Robin's being last, before he moved to Aqualad. He and Tigress stood in the back as they waited their turn to depart. Aqualad further looking at the holographic screen to make any last minute connections.

"Nightwing. Long time, no see," Tigress greeted.

"Yeah. You know how that goes. After a tough streak, sometimes it's best to get back to the simple things. But it's always nice to see you too Tigress."

"Nightwing," Aqualad addressed, shutting down the screen.

"You didn't put me on a squad."

"I was not aware you would be present."

"But you saw me before you handed out assignments. With a mission like this you know you need everyone."

"Yes, but Nightwing if you are not an active member of this team, you cannot expect the same advance warning as those who still are active."

Nightwing and Aqualad stared each other down. Tigress could feel the tension between the two. She quickly excused herself, knowing she had no business there.

"Aqualad, I'll be ready when you are."

He nodded without taking his eyes off the man in front of him.

Nightwing's expression fell, a sigh escaped his lips as he looked off. "Kaldur, look I'm sorry. I just need a distraction. All of this is starting to get to me. I've looked over all the evidence and nothing fits. Every time I think I'm at a breakthrough it falls through the bottom."

"I know, which is why I did not seek to add more to your conscience. The last time I asked of you, the situation turned for the worst."

"I know. But why didn't you send in your heavy hitters? Superboy and Miss Martian. I didn't see them."

"Superboy did not disclose his location and is not responding to any calls. And Miss Martian is indisposed. In her condition, she would be more of a hinderance than a help."

"Of course."

Aqualad looked up to see Tigress urging him to leave, and while he knew the situation was urgent, he had no desire to leave his friend in the state he was in.

He rested a hand on his shoulder. "We will find the connection."

Nightwing saw the reassuring look in his friend's eye. He just couldn't feel it. He nodded and put on a fake smile so he could leave, but his stomach felt empty as a feeling of hopelessness started to grow inside him.

As the zeta tube died down, he sat in the chair in front of the monitors. He had to get his mind off of Luthor, and soon, it had drifted back to Barbara. An image of her flailing until her heart gave out filled his mind as it had when he tried to go to sleep that night. His body shuddered, a slow anger rising in him. Had he not let Jeremiah go, this case would be solved.

A floodgate of negative thoughts followed.

If he hadn't been so obstinate and believed Superboy in the first place Jeremiah would've been in custody. Perhaps if he hadn't stereotyped him. Maybe if he hadn't been so quick to judge. If he had been like Batman he would've seen it coming. If he saw the worst first, he wouldn't be so surprised a psycho could look like Jeremiah. If he had just answered Aqualad's call to begin with this could've all been avoided.

He inhaled deeply. Brooding wasn't going to fix anything. All it would do is make him bitter and give him doubt, a luxury he couldn't afford. The only thing that was going to solve this was steely resolve.

He paused as the thought resonated in his mind. It never occurred to him that Batman had had such an effect on him. He didn't want to push off emotion. A steely resolve would only push him closer to a ledge he had walked away from nearly a decade ago. One that Batman had jumped over many years ago. No, determination was the answer to this. Perseverance and passion was how he was going to do this.

He clicked the monitor and the holographic screen popped up. Nightwing knew all the clues were connected, but how? He typed in Jeremiah's name. This would be his starting point.

 **PAGE BREAK**

It didn't make any sense. He wasn't appearing on anything. With a government job, there was no reason he shouldn't be in somebody's database. He couldn't even find as much as a birth certificate, social security number, or an address. Facial recognition didn't even recognize him. It was as if Jeremiah Danvers didn't exist. Which might have been the case, he hadn't even bothered to ask the man for ID. If he could lie his way through his story, what was to stop him from lying about his name or job. It felt like the deeper he entered this case, the more it fell apart.

He heard footsteps approaching behind him. He turned to see Miss Martian oblivious to his presence, focused solely on whatever she was planning to do.

"Hey M'gann."

She nearly ran into the door threshold as she entered, startled by his voice.

"Nightwing. You… you startled me. I didn't see you there."

"I'm sorry." She was greener than usual. And she looked unsteady on her feet. "You feeling alright? Kaldur told me he benched you 'cause you weren't feeling well."

She steadied herself against the wall. "Right. It's this migraine I've had since I dropped Jeremiah off. And the latest of the symptoms of vertigo has just kicked in."

"Nausea."

"Yeah. But I'll manage. What are you doing here?"

"Trying to figure out this case. But it seems like the more I find, the less sense it makes."

"Have you made any progress on why they attacked Batgirl? I mean how is she?"

His breath hitched. He had tried to push that image out of his mind in an effort to push past the guilt that was being built in his stomach.

"She's… she had a relapse. She's not doing very well."

Miss Martian could hear the pain in the words. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's not your fault. If anything, it's mine. I mean I let the man who did it walk out of here."

"Wait. Who? You're not saying that Jeremiah-"

"Yeah. Jeremiah did it. I don't know how, but it was definitely him. And I didn't want to arrest him because he didn't 'look' the part. I trusted a stranger before my teammate. Because of my short-sighted indignation, I couldn't get past what happened between Superboy and Batgirl. I claimed a teammate as the criminal and let the real one walk out. And now they're both missing."

"Nightwing you can't blame yourself for this."

"Maybe not. Maybe I can, but that's something I'll have to decide when this is all settled."

She nodded truly feeling for him as she often did with any of her teammates. But she had a task, and she couldn't let Nightwing stop her. She waited until he had settled back into his chair and started typing before moving back in the direction she was headed originally.

"Maybe when you see Connor, you could apologize for me. Tell him I jumped to conclusions without facts. You know, when you find him. And tell him to head out where Tigress and Aqualad are. They could use as much help as they can get with that reactor." He turned back around in his chair to face her.

Her face froze for a split second, but she quickly recovered. "What do you mean? I was headed to the kitchen to calm my vertigo symptoms."

"You're a great actor M'gann. But you're a terrible liar."

"I'm not-"

"The kitchen is the other way."

She was about to protest, but she could feel her lunch rising in her throat. She closed her eyes and clamped her hand over her mouth and used her hand as support as she leaned against the wall, praying nothing came up.

To her relief, the moment passed. As she opened her eyes, Nightwing stood in front of her. She inhaled, getting a hold on herself.

"Please don't try and stop me."

"I'm not going to stop you, but I suggest you not do this by yourself."

"Then you're suggesting you go with me."

"You push too hard M'gann, but I accept."

She began to walk toward the exit when Nightwing grabbed her shoulder. "I need to make a stop before we find our missing comrade."

 **PAGE BREAK**

The zeta tube died behind them as they stepped through. Miss Martian held her stomach as she stepped through.

"You sure you're going to be alright?"

She looked back at Nightwing who had begun changing clothes. "I'll manage," she replied quickly averting her eyes as he removed his uniform top.

He noticed her turning red as he put his pants on over his spandex and smiled to himself.

She took his cue, stepping out of the transporting area and morphed into something less conspicuous, a dark leather jacket, white collared shirt, denim jeans and ankle boots. As soon as he finished, they walked out the alcove the tube was hidden in.

"Sorry M'gann. I'm so used to being alone or surrounded by a bunch of guys I didn't even think to ask."

"It's not a problem, just a surprise is all. Where did you keep the clothes?"

He laughed as they continued down the street. "It's a trade secret. You learn a few things on this job. Not everyone's clothes are organic and can be changed at will."

"Why so formal for a walk down the street?" She noted his slacks, button down shirt, and overcoat.

"It's my street uniform."

"You have a street uniform?"

"For my job M'gann. You know I'm a cop right?"

She looked at him from the side of his eye. A look as to say "Really?"

"What? You don't believe me?"

She simply gave a mischievous grin. "So what kind of stop is this if you need your 'cop street uniform'?"

His smile diminished. "I need you to take me to Jeremiah's house."

She paused in her tracks. "Jeremiah?" she asked, coming out more shakily than she had intended. "Why?"

"M'gann he attacked our teammates and I let him walk out. I can't stand by and do nothing while he roams free. Besides that, he may have information that could pull this whole thing together."

She considered his words before turning back to where they came.

"Are you walking out?"

"No. If you want Jeremiah's house we're going the wrong way."

The mood between them had shifted. Richard could see M'gann was more tense. Her motions had become stiff and their banter had ceased. If her reaction to his destination had been any indication, Jeremiah had done something to her that had made her uncomfortable.

He decided to break the stifling silence. "What happened the other night with Jeremiah?"

She didn't face him. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Then why are you so anxious about going back?"

She inhaled as she pondered his question. "Clearly, he's not the man we thought he was. When I escorted him home, he was far more forward than expected. His presence just makes the atmosphere… fraught."

He thought carefully over his words, not knowing how to say what was on his mind.

She frowned at his question.

"I made an error in judgement just like you did. No matter how much prior knowledge I had, it was a mistake we both made. Don't try to push your oversight of the situation on to me," she responded.

"M'gann what are you talking about? I didn't say anything," Nightwing added.

She was positive she had heard him ask, "Why hadn't Jeremiah's behavior tipped her off?"

"You didn't ask me anything out loud?" she asked.

"No. I know I didn't ask that aloud." Though he had been thinking it. She had read his mind, but it seemed as if it were on accident. "M'gann are you sure you're alright?"

She shook her head, but continued to walk.

They quickly arrived on 15th Street, the silence still weighing heavy between the two.

"His house is the only one with a gate around it." Miss Martian informed Nightwing.

"Inviting. I suppose he was paranoid."

They walked through the gate to the door. M'gann leaned heavily against the rail, her vertigo flaring with a vengeance. It seemed just being around the house or thinking about its occupant was making her physical symptoms worse. She would've like to think that their encounter with him hadn't affected her, but perhaps it had. She was practically having an anxiety attack just at the mention of Jeremiah.

Nightwing knocked on the door and waited for a response. After a minute of no movement, he knocked again. He began to grow visibly impatient after the third cycle. He had to get into this house. He didn't care how, but he had to. He looked to M'gann who seemed occupied with her own thoughts, a sick look on her face. He didn't want to ask her to phase them through the door, especially with her given condition, but he had to get in the house. Jeremiah knew more than what he had revealed in his interrogation. Not only that, he was responsible for much more grief and turmoil within the team. He was going to get his penance for his actions. There was a storm coming for what he did to Barbara, and he was not about to let a locked door get in the way of it.

It didn't take long for the realization slap him in the face. This man was getting under his skin, this whole case was. And sure, Jeremiah deserved penance, but not in the cruel way he had imagined. Once this was over, he had a lot of self-evaluation to do.

He raised his hand to knock on the door again when it opened. Before him stood a middle aged woman. She had blonde hair, short stature, and slightly overweight, not a threat, and not the man they were looking for.

"Can I help you?"

Nightwing quickly pushed his initial shock to the side and flashed his badge. "I'm Detective Malone and this is my partner, Detective Morse. We're looking for a man by the name of Jeremiah Danvers. We were informed he lived here."

She couldn't look more confused. Her face twisted deep in thought. "We don't know a Jeremiah, and there certainly isn't one in this house."

"Ma'am he is a suspect in a major crime. You do know that if you are hiding him you could be arrested for obstructing justice, aiding and abetting a fugitive, as well as an accessory to his crime?"

"Oh, quite. I'm pretty hip on police dealings. In fact, my husband is a security officer at Union Station. Darrell!"

She yelled back several times. Soon after a middle aged man, slightly shorter than Nightwing approached. He had brown hair and a strong jawline. His body looked as if it had once served in the Armed Forces, as well as his demeanor. Neither looked like Jeremiah, so hiding him to protect kin was no longer a possibility.

"Can I help you two?"

"Honey, they say that someone named Jeremiah Danvers lives here."

"Well I can assure you if he did, I would turn him right in. I don't believe in standing in the way of justice."

"Well, that's good to know. You wouldn't mind if we looked around then?"

"Not at all. Come right in."

The house was small. A couch and TV were placed on the far wall as they entered. The kitchen on the far right and a hallway on the left leading to the other rooms of the house.

M'gann shuddered as she crossed the threshold, missing her footing. As she landed in the back of Nightwing, she quickly got herself together, but not without him noticing.

" _If you need to sit out, I can-"_

" _I'm fine."_

He took note of her curtness. " _Then can you read their minds to see if they're lying? Last time I tried to read a person, we ended up tracking his house down because I let him walk free."_

She gave him a sorrowful look.

" _I can barely keep this connection up. I don't know if reading their minds right now is the best idea."_

"But you were able to read my mind not ten minutes ago," he thought to himself.

She paused before she continued. " _And no, this isn't like when I read your mind on the way here. I don't know how it happened if I wasn't intending to. That was involuntarily. I didn't process it as thought, my head told me it was auditory. I heard you as if you said it aloud. I don't know what it is or what happened, but I do know that being in proximity of this house is making the headache worse. And reading their minds is not a good idea."_

She had done it again. Read his mind without him saying anything. And even at full capacity, she usually wasn't able to read minds while establishing a link. Perhaps there was far more to this "headache".

"My partner is going to take a look around the house. Could either of you show a deed or lease agreement?"

"Sure. Darrell is really organized. He'll go get it."

M'gann and Darrell turned in the same direction to move to the rest of the house. As he passed her, Nightwing could see her stagger slightly. She stood against the wall seeming to investigate, but he knew she was composing herself.

Darrell had noticed her too. He paused in his tracks to assess her.

"You look a little pale Miss. Do you need some water or a place to lie down?"

She returned his sympathy with a hollow smile and stood straight up.

"I'm alright. Just settling myself."

He nodded and went on his way to grab the documents asked of him. She continued to the back of the house. It was quaint. Nothing more than a four bedroom. Each room had a charm to it, a nostalgic like air to them. Pictures hung all around, but none of their suspect. There were no places where someone could hide. No secret rooms. Everything was as it should be. A retired military man and his wife living a sedentary life.

But something was off. This house was triggering a major physical reaction for her. And she was positive this was the house she had entered when escorting Jeremiah home. The furniture and arrangement for the house was exactly the same. Was it possible she had made another mistake? The nagging feeling was causing her head to throb.

She made her way through each room to ensure there was nothing there to appease the nagging sensation in the back of her head.

As she made her way back to the front, the three other people had gathered in the center of the living room. Nightwing was looking intently at the documents Darrell had brought him. They seemed legitimate. The realtor, the property address, tax ID, the agreed price and a raised seal were all present.

As he looked at the list of past owners, his face began to form a slight scowl. He quickly put away his disdain to continue the front.

"Everything looks to be in order. But if you don't mind, I'd like to take a copy."

"Already got one for you sir. Like to be prepared."

He accepted the copy, but it only added to his suspicion. This man was perhaps a bit too helpful. But with all that was going on, maybe someone who was finally able to help was a good thing. However, after the mishap with Jeremiah, he was not about to let just anyone off the hook.

"Well Mr. and Mrs. Calfell, thank you for all your cooperation. Sorry to bother you. But I'm sure you understand."

"We know you have to uphold the law. We're just sorry we couldn't help more," Mrs. Calfell replied.

"Just make sure you put that criminal away. Keep our streets safe," Darrell added.

The couple escorted the two out the door.

They walked down the street, the silence from before returning. It wasn't that neither knew how to break it, but the gravity of the situation was causing both to think on it heavily. They were absorbed in their own worlds trying the best way they could to make sense of everything.

At the end of the street was a bus stop. Richard needed somewhere to properly examine these documents, and M'gann looked as if she would collapse if she didn't sit. Coming to rest on the bench, Nightwing examined the documents he had been given.

"I know you don't believe them. But they're telling the truth," Miss Martian chimed as she watched him.

"How'd you know I don't believe them?"

"I don't have to read your mind if you wear it on your face."

"Well I guess it's better I did it out here and not while they were talking. How do you know they're telling the truth?"

"The same way I thought I heard you speaking out loud on the way here."

"So by accident."

"I wish I could control it. It's like I've never used my powers before."

"I'm sure you'll work it out." The scowl returned as he returned to looking at the documents in his hands.

"So is this another dead end?"

"I wouldn't say dead end, it's more of a detour. This deed. Everything looks official, which means the owners listed here all legitimately owned the house. That wouldn't be a problem if I didn't recognize any of the names on it." He handed her the paper. She looked at it intently. The list was surprisingly long for a house that didn't look to be that old. There were many names she didn't recognize. A Trey Davis, Raymond Blackson, David Jeremiah, Darrell Calfell, and LexCorp.

"LexCorp."

"Exactly. I know the timing is wrong. It says that he bought the house 4 years ago, and sold it last year. But maybe he was just preparing this whole time. But I still have no idea what it means for this case."

She put a hand on his shoulder. "You'll find it."

He took a deep breath. The whole situation was depressing. He as determined to find a connection, but determination means nothing if he can't get a working lead.

Eager to change the subject, he looked to M'gann. She had an elbow rested on her knee, head in hand and she was ghostly white.

"M'gann. You really don't look good."

She raised her head to look at him. "Is this the charm you use to win over all the girls? How do you keep them away?"

"You know what I meant."

"I will go to the Cave and get much needed rest after we find Connor."

"Clearly Jeremiah isn't here, so what was your plan for finding Connor?"

"I was thinking he might be somewhere around here. That's where he went last time he blew off steam."

"Well I haven't seen him, so maybe we should go back to base. Kaldur just said he wasn't responding to his com, doesn't mean he took it out. And even if he did, we can still go to its last location and go from there."

The walk to the zeta tube had less tension than going. Slight banter had returned, a more natural and relaxed feel established. It didn't take them long to return to their origin.

"Recognized. Nightwing B01. Miss Martian B05."

It came without warning. Miss Martian grabbed her temples. The excruciating pain she had felt earlier was returning. She took a knee as her legs gave in to the pain. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and her vision was beginning to blur. Time slowed down at the overstimulation of her senses. She could hear Nightwing calling her name in the background. But it was what was coming to the foreground that was grabbing her attention.

A blast of nuclear energy filled her vision, hurtling right toward them. She pulled Nightwing down to her level, hoping it would be enough to keep him out of harm's way. As she looked back up, all she saw was Jeremiah, a sinister smile on his face. Her body jerked back as a masculine figure rushed into the transporting area landing both she and Nightwing against the wall. Jeremiah strolled in behind them, the tube transporting all of them to the Cave.

 _ **North Pole**_

 _ **April 5, 22:46 EST**_

Luthor stepped out of the Fortress. The wind whipped in his face. Everything was falling into place, but the source of power he had acquired earlier hadn't been large enough. The sliver he had tested in the lab was a mere D battery compared to the mega voltage that he was procuring now.

Superboy closed the door behind them, the crystalline power source in hand. It was no question that Luthor could have gathered it himself, but the alien structure of it made it harmful to a mere human. And while Superboy was half human, the nanobots in his system were helping him build a resistance to it, covering his human DNA as the patches had, effectively solving that problem. Not only were they a way for him to control the clone, but his genius had put in many other practical functions.

He had to admit, Superman had quite a nice setup, and he had his young charge to thank for showing it to him, of course with a little persuasion. He had needed the Kryptonian DNA to enter as well as the strength. With the unlimited supply of both he had now, he would be back for the victor's spoils. Now, however, he had work to do.


	7. Chapter 6: Ambush

**I don't own Young Justice or any related characters.**

 **A/N: Another one. Hope you enjoy it. Hopefully the next won't be to far behind.**

 **READ. REVIEW. ENJOY.**

 **-PAGE BREAK-**

 _ **Mount Justice**_

 _ **April 5, 18:04 EST**_

His ears were ringing as he tried to get his bearings. He flew nearly half way across the room before the ground knocked the wind out of him. It had all happened so suddenly. He hadn't really seen it happen. Miss Martian had screamed out in pain, and something had brought him to the ground. But the energy he was trying to dodge made a direct path to his stomach. He was then on his back, tackled by some unknown figure.

He looked over to Miss Martian. She was writhing in pain on the ground. He looked around him to assess his situation. Two targets had infiltrated their headquarters. A tall muscular figure who had a striking resemblance to Captain Atom, and the sneaky skinny son of a gun they had been looking for earlier.

Jeremiah's concentration was solely on Miss Martian. And it seemed the harder he looked, the more pain his partner was in. It took a minute, but the connection hit Nightwing harder than the blow that brought him to the ground. Jeremiah was telepathic. Instinct forced his hand to his utility belt. A birdarang sailed through the air, rushing toward Jeremiah in an attempt to create a diversion. The man cried out as the birdarang connected against his skull, creating the distraction Nightwing needed.

The hero pushed his pain aside and ran to Miss Martian hoping to ensure she was okay before trying to mount an attack. But he never made it. He felt his shirt collar choke him as he was jerked back against the far wall of the Monitor Womb.

"Always playing the hero aren't you? It's gonna get you killed," the bulky figure breathed.

He wasn't in the mood for games or witty banter. They had invaded their sanctuary and they needed to be removed. Nightwing jumped back up. While there was no one in the Cave, he had to stop these invaders and get back to Miss Martian.

"I creamed you last time Bird Boy. Ready for round two?" The man stalked towards him.

" _Round two?"_ Nightwing thought. Unless this was the missing Captain Atom with a costume change, he had never seen this guy in his life. He charged at the nuclear powered villain.

 **PAGE BREAK**

Miss Martian picked herself off the ground. If her head was hurting before, she was in hell now. Her whole body ached and her head was in an insurmountable amount of pain. Recovering from the blow to the head, the scrawny figure that had strolled in with the nuclear powered behemoth walked into her view.

"Jeremiah," she breathed. The utter shock caused her to take a few steps back.

He stared at her. Confusion shown in all of his body language, the lack of recognition evident.

"Do I know you?" He had a slight British accent. She could see the wheels turning in his mind. Her initial shock quickly wore off. She turned to run. She was in no condition for a battle of the mind at this point. And with the lack of focus and the pain in her entire body, hand to hand wasn't a great idea either.

Jerome shook himself from his thoughts. Why this alien had recognized him and called him out of his name was not his concern at this point. He was sent to annihilate loose ends. He scanned around him. She was out of his physical vision, but not his mind's eye. He immediately found her, her presence a familiar feel to him despite not knowing who she was. His job wasn't to understand. He was to follow orders.

She was weak and in pain. Picking her off would be a simple task. He focused all his energies on her mind and its intricate faculties. He was determined to pick them apart piece by piece until she keeled over from all the pain. The high pitch of her shrill was music to his ears. He concentrated harder, hoping to hear her beg for mercy.

Nightwing couldn't help but look over as he saw Miss Martian behind the monitor screen display. He could practically feel the pain she was going through. He knew if he didn't intervene soon, she wouldn't make it.

The lackey he had been fighting pounced him, pinning him to the ground.

He had to know. If this was the Captain, why was he attacking?

"Captain Atom. What are you doing?"

The villain looked at him with absolute disdain. "Captain At- You think I'm that low ranking poozer?" The villain picked Nightwing off the ground and threw him across the room. Following him with a nuclear powered blast. While his reflexes were quick, he was unable to land and dodge. The blast sent him back even further.

The man came and stood over him. "You're dealing with the Major, boy. Major Force."

He gave him a blast to the face, stunning Nightwing. The shrieks in the background had calmed themselves, but the sounds of pain could still be heard.

"Are you finished yet?" Jerome asked as he watched his colleague yank his adversary off the floor.

"Boss man said finish them. Didn't say we couldn't have fun in the process. Besides you're still working on yours."

"I can finish the Martian off with just a thought. But what logic is there in disposing of her if I have to remain here and wait for you?"

"Even if we finish here, the Cap still won't be done."

"Again, your logic is flawed. His query has acquired several mobility dampening injuries including one to the femur. And she has been heavily sedated for the last few days. There is no reason he shouldn't be finished."

"If he was like us, yeah. But Cap for sure doesn't have the stomach for a kill. And no matter how bad you messed that sidekick up, he always finds a way to screw things up."

"I don't know to what sidekick you're referring, but please finish."

"Gladly."

He turned back to Nightwing who was now awake and furious. He brought his knees to his chest and pushed off with his legs. He landed a kick to the chest as he flipped backwards. It was followed by an explosive that sent Major Force stumbling backwards. With a flash grenade on the ground, he blinded the two. Nightwing rushed over to M'gann.

"No, no. Not again. Not again," she whispered.

"Miss Martian we have to get out of here."

She looked up at him, but continued to whisper to herself incoherently. He didn't have time for this. The two weren't going to stay blinded for long. He lifted her to her feet, draped one of her arms around his shoulder and guided her to the zeta tube.

 **PAGE BREAK**

Major Force's eyes finally adjusted to the dim light of the Cave. Nightwing would get his in due time. He looked over to his partner who seemed to be having some sort of nervous breakdown.

"Jeremiah pull yourself together," he said annoyed.

The skinny man's head snapped towards him. "This is all your fault. If you had just finished him off like you were supposed to, they wouldn't have got away." He began to charge toward the muscular figure.

Major Force could here the New York drawl in his voice. He nearly laughed as he watched his partner try to beat him in fisticuffs. But the smirk soon fell after he received a hearty kick to the back of his knee followed by a hit to the face. He was small, but had a lot more strength than expected.

He grabbed Jeremiah before he could strike again. "Look Jeremiah. You may have the brain, but don't forget. I will beat you within an inch of your life."

"It's Jerry!" He tried another attack, but the Major blocked and smacked the man across the head. "I don't care who you are or whatever you call yourself. Watch yourself."

Jerry landed on the ground. His head throbbing. This was happening to him more frequently. He still didn't fully understand what was happening to him. He was told he was helping the greater good, but it always caused him a lot of pain and he never remembered what happened prior to the headache.

"What happened?" he asked as he picked himself up off the ground.

"Get yourself together Jeremiah."

"Jerome."

"Jerry, Jeremiah, Jerome. Whoever the hell you are, get it together or I'll do it for you. There's still stuff we need to do."

Jerome stood to his feet. "The DNA, correct?"

"Yeah. Now get lookin'."

 _ **Washington General Hospital**_

 _ **April 5, 17:54 EST**_

Barbara opened her eyes as she laid in bed. She only had feeling from the waist up. Her mind was swimming, and she was only semi conscious of her surroundings. They had filled her with sedatives every six hours for the past 24 hours. Sometimes more frequently. And she hated each one. It felt that they were taking a piece of her away every time. It was making her paranoid.

With all the time she had now, she reflected on what happened a lot. She didn't remember much, but flashes of that night still popped in her dreams.

 _She was running through the halls of a dark building. She could feel herself being chased. With Superboy using her for support, she had to keep going, but a stealthy escape was out of the question. The explosive she had set was going to go off any moment._

The memory would then jump to a different segment of the night, one that continued to fill her nightmares and probably would for many months to come.

 _She and Superboy had made it to a forest clearing when her body had stopped responding to her commands. She couldn't lift her legs and it felt as if her abdomen was being constricted. Superboy had tried to move her, but she stuck fast. The feeling in her chest persisted until she felt the snap of her ribs. She was released immediately after. Her body fell to the ground as the pressure finally released._

 _She could hear Superboy struggling. Knowing that she couldn't allow this injury from helping her partner she rushed to help. She was taken aback to see their assailant, Captain Atom. Pushing the unbelief aside, she reached for her utility belt. Before she could react, she was forced to the ground from behind. Her chest burned with pain as the wind escaped her lungs._

 _Getting back up, the man in front of her was scrawny and unkempt. He had a crooked grin on his face, and she could tell he was about to do something unwholesome._

 _Jumping at her, she threw up a series of blocks. He was strong despite his small frame. She couldn't take the offense because his attacks never stopped. Each hit sent her back a step until her back was against a tree. The attacker's smile increased. His fist was aimed at her face. She dropped down as he struck. Coming back up, her fist connected with his chin, disorienting him. She finished with a kick to the gut, giving her distance to move out and help Superboy._

 _As she struck out, her head exploded with pain. She staggered for a few steps before she was forced to the ground. She could hear Superboy in the background. Whatever had affected her was affecting him too._

 _She was guided to her backside by someone standing over her. The scrawny attacker again had that sinister grin. She tried to get up, but the weight he was pressing on her chest and the agony her mind was going through were unable to make it happen._

 _It started with the kisses going up and down the side of her face. The longer he was on top the harder they became. She thrashed as best she could, but the more she did, the greater the high pitched whine became in her mind. She could feel her uniform trying to be removed , but try as she might, there was nothing she could do. She hollered out, but there was no one there to save her._

She couldn't shake it. The images that Dick had showed her continued to flash through her mind, her attacker. She didn't want to be scared. All the scum she fought on a daily basis was ten times scarier than this man. But his face seemed to cause her heart rate to rise, alerting the nurses who would consequently give her another dose of sedatives and painkillers.

While they had assured her the dosage of each was low, each time she was under, she could barely remember her own name. She was in between injections right now. A small space of time for her to think, if she could float a thought across the sea of her mind.

She looked over to the empty chair beside her bed and thought back to Richard. A smile came to her face as she reminisced on the kiss they shared. She had never thought of him as a romantic partner, especially since he and Zatanna had been romantically involved on and off. He had always been more like a little brother to her. But the way he had talked to her yesterday, there was something far past friendship in his voice. She wouldn't push it, frankly, she didn't even know if she really had feelings.

She felt the wind blow on her face. The last nurse who had checked on her let the window up. It was a nice change of pace, but she was eager to get out of here. It had caught her by surprise though. Earlier that day, the doctors were tempted to move her to the mental ward. She had been hearing noises the entire day while under the drugs. The doctors had had to restrain her once as she had tried to run through the door.

The door had been closed since. So when it creaked open, she became worried. She reached for her utility belt hidden in a cabinet that had been presumed locked. Dick had taken it with him the night he had dropped her off. Tim had brought it during his first visit. The screams and noises she had been hearing earlier soon followed. She could feel her heart rate start to rise.

It was happening again. Her paranoia taking over her. She inhaled deeply as she tried a few of the calming techniques Bruce had shown her after a bad run in with the Scarecrow. But even as she tried, the screams seemed to grow louder.

She opened her eyes. Something was telling her she had to move. But another voice was saying this was just all in her head just as it had been last time. Again she looked over at the chair sitting next to her bed, her mind in a war as to whether she should prepare against this unknown threat.

Fear won the battle. She carefully maneuvered out of the bed into the chair. While she wasn't crazed, it would be better here than lie unprotected in the hospital bed. The noises continued to get louder the harder she tried to ignore it. Then the ground shook.

She gripped the bedrail. The ceiling fell through and she was on the floor despite her death grip on the bed. Sitting back up, Captain Atom loomed over her.

"Captain?" Barbara asked, confused as to the nature and actions of his visit.

He didn't answer, only stood staring at her. She moved to stand. A nuclear blast was hailed in her direction. Recognizing it moments before it hit, she grabbed the bed pan to deflect it. She could feel the radiation as it passed her face and destroyed the cabinet behind her.

The barrage continued to hail in her direction. With so many injuries, she wasn't fast enough to get off the floor and dodge. She had no choice but to roll out the way, despite her damaged ribs.

Squeezing under the bed, she took a moment to catch her breath. It felt as if her chest was caving in on her. The whole room seemed to get smaller. Her adrenaline rushing. She knew this was only temporary and had to think of something that was going to get her out of here with the least amount of pain.

Her decision was made for her as Captain Atom lifted the bed and threw it through the door. She grabbed her grapple and attempted to aim it through the window, but she was hoisted off the ground before she could get a good shot off.

"Captain, it's Batgirl. What are you doing?"

His face seemed to soften for a moment, slightly confused, but it quickly returned to its original state. Yet, the split second had been enough for Barbara to shoot her grapple to the next building through the open window. She was yanked from his hands and out of the hospital room, but not unscaved. Leaving the building, her left leg hit the windowsill on the way out. Her face twisted in pain. The painkillers seemed to have worn off and at the worst time.

Her landing on the next building was haphazard. Unable to slow her momentum as she let go of the grapple, she went tumbling head over heels, injuries and all. Her body was screaming for sweet relief. Even with the adrenaline running through her body, it wasn't enough. It seemed that every nerve was put into overdrive to let her know that she needed to stop whatever she was doing.

She mustered the strength to at least sit upright to find Captain Atom flying toward the building. As soon as he landed, he began running at her.

She tried to stand using the one leg, but she couldn't run anymore, her body physically would not let her. She scooted back as fast as she could knowing nothing she could think of right now could stop him, only delay what was coming since she couldn't get away.

Captain Atom charged his hand, the radiation growing around it. She closed her eyes and turned her head not wanting to see her end. As she waited, she could feel the rush of wind around her. A peace calming her despite her intense pain.

 _ **Washington DC**_

 _ **April 5, 18:15 EST**_

Nightwing rushed through the zeta tube with Miss Martian on his shoulder. He was running, his heart pounding so loud in his ears, he hadn't even heard Miss Martian pleading for him to slow down, only noticing when her weight was no longer on him. She was bent over clutching her head as she caught her breath.

He rushed back to her to help her up, assisting her to an abandoned building where she could compose herself. He helped her lean against the wall on the factory floor.

"Are you alright?" he asked, an urgency in his voice.

"Shut up. Shut up," she answered.

He wasn't fully sure she heard him, or if her response was to him or someone present in her mind. He wanted to stay with her, but Barbara was facing life and death. Miss Martian would survive.

"I'll be back," he informed her. He took off before she could ask any questions.

He took off down the street as fast as he could. At that moment he would have given anything for the super speed of his best friend. If Major Force, Jeremiah, and Captain Atom were all supposed to strike at the same time, he might already be too late. He threw up a silent prayer and put all his strength into getting to her.

Upon arrival, he reached for his grapple, propelling himself to her room. He had made careful observations at his visit in case of an emergency such as this. Finding the window already open, he flipped in ready to strike. The room was a mess. The bed was halfway through the door and halfway in the hall. The cabinets were adorned with holes. The chair overturned along with various pieces of equipment.

His heart began to race as he realized he might have been too late. He looked around the room for a clue as to where the two might be. He looked up to find the ceiling destroyed, drywall and concrete falling through the hole. Shaking his head, he thought through all the possibilities. As he turned his head, he caught movement with his peripheral vision. Captain Atom had landed on the adjacent roof and was stalking towards a cowering Barbara. He ran back through his entrance, shooting his grapple to reach the other building across from him. Flipping to land, his outstretched legs connected with Captain Atom's back, propelling him forward, his charged hand creating a hole in the roof.

He and Barbara locked eyes. There was a mixture of pain and fear. His heart longed to take it from her. A fire burned in his soul to make this right. His head snapped back to the rogue Leaguer. He was picking himself off the ground. Not waiting for him to recover, Nightwing raced over to him, his fist connecting to the captain's face as he turned to him. He followed with a elbow to the nose and a roundhouse to the head, bringing his opponent back to the ground, putting the fight in Nightwing's favor. The fury in his body was far from finished.

Kneeling beside the fallen hero, he lifted him so they would be face to face.

"Nightwing?" The confused expression on the captain's face showed confusion, but Nightwing didn't care, the damage had already been done, and he still had explosive energy to quell.

A snarl crossed his face as he began to repeatedly punch the "enemy" in the face. That's what Captain Atom had become, everything he was fighting against in this case. Each punch and each bash meant to bring out the fury he had for each clue yet to solve.

"Richard!"

His hand paused before landing the next blow. He looked down at Captain Atom, visibly beaten, bruises adorning his face. Nightwing immediately released him. Had Barbara not called his name, he didn't know how far he would have gone.

His attention now turned to her. She was crying, tears staining her face. The pain she must have been in. He knelt beside her.

"You were gonna kill him, weren't you?" she asked.

His countenance conveyed the despair he felt. He shook his head.

"I wouldn't have killed him, but I probably would have gotten a lot closer."

She had managed to scoot herself against a rise on the roof. Her teeth gritted in pain as she laid her head against the rise. Her knuckles turning white from how hard she had them closed.

"Barbara, I'm gonna get you out of here. I promise."

He went to grab her as he had only nights before, but she screamed in agony. He immediately retreated. Trying a different approach only yielded a similar response. Her right hand found his arm. He could now feel how much pain she was in, as she was crushing his bicep. She was leaving him with only one option.

"Barbara, I'm going to have to sedate you."

"No! No, please Richard. Don't."

"I have to. It's the only way I can move you without any pain."

She shook her head and looked at him, pleading he wouldn't. He ran his hand through his hair. This was by far one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do. He grabbed her hand off his arm and held it in his hand.

"I told you. You're one of the strongest people I've met. You're gonna get through this, and I'm gonna be here the whole time."

He caressed her face to further reassure her.

She took a deep breath and nodded, the tears flowing faster.

Nightwing took out his first aid kit. Using the tranquilizing fluid, he filled the syringe and administered it. It didn't take long for her grip on his hand to loosen, indicating she was asleep. He could've used a painkiller, but it would've prolonged her suffering, and he knew neither of them could bear that. Besides that, it was only low strength. It wouldn't even ebb a stubbed toe.

He looked back at Captain Atom, a fury reigniting.

"Miss Martian." He used the commlink figuring she might still be recovering from whatever happened at the Cave. But with no reply, he began to grow impatient.

"Miss Martian," he called more urgently.

"Yes. I'm here."

"Meet me at the roof of the building next to the hospital."

It didn't take her long to get there. He wasn't surprised at the shock she portrayed, but looking at his face, she didn't ask. He would divulge when it was time. Her head was still on fire, but she was willing to do her part to help her friends.

Nightwing gingerly picked his friend off the ground. He carried her over to Miss Martian who took equal care. He then hoisted the captain over his shoulder. He grappled to the alley on the side to let himself down, Miss Martian followed close behind.

 _ **Watchtower**_

 _ **April 5, 18:49 EST**_

He exited the infirmary. Miss Martian stood outside waiting for him. She and Nightwing stood in silence, his expression was stoic.

"I guess that makes sense," she started.

"What?"

She turned red, clearly embarrassed. "I was going to ask you why come to the Watchtower when there are better facilities at the Cave."

"If Major Force and Jeremiah are there, we wouldn't last with Barbara injured like she is. The two of us barely held our own. And with Captain Atom gone rogue, our chances of winning decrease dramatically." He paused. "That headache is something else, isn't it?"

"It's embarrassing."

"I think it's a lot more than a headache. But you'll get it."

She peered into the window. "How is she?"

"She's stable, but I'm by no means a doctor. There's high grade painkiller in her IV so when she wakes it will at least be bearable. But she needs to be in a hospital. I don't know the extent of re-injury she has because of today, but I'm sure she's gonna need surgery again to redo what was already done."

There was dark tone to his voice, not the upbeat person she had known.

"How are you?"

"I don't know."

She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm gonna talk with Atom. You'll watch her and let me know if anything changes?"

She nodded and he left.

 **PAGE BREAK**

"Recognized. Zatanna A03."

Nightwing sat on the chair in front of the interrogation room. Zatanna rushed by him before even recognizing he was sitting there. It was his civilian clothes that had thrown her.

"Nightwing. What's wrong? It sounded urgent. You said Captain Atom was back. Where is he?"

He got up and led her into the room, gesturing to him as they entered.

"Why is he in an inhibitor collar?"

"He tried to kill Barbara." There was no emotion in his voice.

"What?!" She looked over her former lover carefully. She had known he could get "broody" occasionally when working a case, but he was callous. She couldn't read him at all.

"I called you down because as a member of the League, I need a League member present to investigate him. And if I try to kill him, I need you to pull me out."

"You can't be serious? Nightwing he's not a perp."

"He just tried to murder our friend. He's no different than the rest right now."

As soon as he stepped in the door, Captain Atom began to spill.

"Nightwing you need to listen to me. I can explain," he said. He looked like a little kid who just knocked over his mom's favorite vase.

Nightwing held his hand up to stop the Captain before he really got started. He didn't want the noise. He just wanted the answers he was seeking so he could get in and get out.

"You go missing for five days. You have knowledge of the clandestine location of one of the Team's operatives. You exploit that knowledge to make an unauthorized debrief. Then you abuse the same information and nearly assassinate her. What is there to explain Captain?"

The Leaguer looked small despite being physically the biggest in the room. "You're not gonna believe me. But I don't remember most of it."

The room filled with laughter catching Captain Atom off guard. Nightwing clutched his side as he doubled over laughing.

"You don't remember?" The laughter continued. "There's a lot of that going around, isn't it?" Zatanna was confused as well as she looked on.

A chair smashed against the floor and Nightwing was in Captain Atom's face, the smile he just held no existent.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't give you to Belle Reve right now?" Zatanna moved to the door, ready to pull him out before they had even started.

"Because I may know something you've been looking for."

Nightwing saw the Leaguer coming to get him, but his shook his head and took a deep breath. She scowled at him, but she backed off. "Like what? You just said you didn't remember anything from the last five days."

"Just hear me out."

Nightwing stood back. "Talk."

"When I was in the Air Force, I was framed for murdering my commanding officer."

"And was sentenced to life in prison. You were then offered a pardon if you volunteered for a government experiment. I know your origin. What does that have to do with now?"

"The experiment was performed by an early version of Cadmus. A year later, they repeated the experiment with Sergeant 2nd Class Clifford Zmeck, Major Force. While he was promoted as a hero, he was always underhanded. Since I came out of the quantum field, he was quite active, but has quieted down since. I ended up losing track of him until about a week or so ago. Around the same time, I started to get "headaches" I guess. Something I hadn't felt since I first came back from the field. They weren't normal headaches, but I don't know how else to describe them."

"Like radio feedback. Like you can hear things that aren't being said as if they are."

"Right. How did you know? Are you-"

"Keep going Captain."  
"I figured it wasn't a coincidence. So I went to investigate at the beginning of the week, and it brought me to Cadmus." He paused and wiped his face. He looked uncomfortable, but he continued. "When I got there, I found that Luthor rebuilt his underground lab, but-" he stopped again.

"Captain what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine. There was no sign of Major Force, but… but I saw something else."

"What?"

"Bat… Batgirl and Superboy. They were... They were there too."

"Captain what did you see?" Nightwing was growing anxious. It looked like it was becoming more difficult for him to finish. But he needed this information. He couldn't get it from anywhere else.

"Luthor… he was… he was there. There was... blueprints… with…" His face grimaced with pain. His mouth opened as if to cry out, but no sound came. And like that he was gone. His body physically there, but his mind was gone like he was in a trance.

"Captain. Captain! Captain!"

Nightwing pounded on the table and walked out, slamming the door behind him. Zatanna followed him back to the spot where she had met him.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You tell me."

"Are you suggesting it was magic?"

"I don't know! I don't know anything at this point. One minute he's explaining, and the next he's just sitting there like someone stole the life out of him."

"I would have felt if it was a magical interference." He wasn't listening to her. He was lost in his own head. She grabbed his face and turned it towards her. "Dick listen to me. You're gonna figure this out like you always do."

"I keep hearing that, but I'm still at square one."

"Maybe you need to take another look at it." Her hand passed over his chest as she came to sit next to him. He felt something press against him. He reached in his jacket pocket and found the deed from earlier.

"Or maybe I need to take a detour." The name LexCorp jumped out at him. He abruptly stood from his seat.

"Where are you going?"

"Square one. Cadmus."

She gave him a surprised look.

"You're not stopping me. I have to do this alone."

"While I wish you would reconsider taking a League escort, I'm surprised you haven't stopped there already. If that was their mission, then why wouldn't you start where it all went wrong?"

He considered her words. And it was odd that he hadn't even considered looking into Cadmus. He shook the throbbing feeling in his head to the side.

"I don't know, but it ends now."


End file.
